Breath
by T8037
Summary: What came next after S02 E18 and heading off into their future. Looks like this is going to officially be AU as season 3 went in a completely different direction!
1. Chapter 1

**Looks like we're heading into AU territory! **

He waited.

He sat on the bench outside and waited. After all, they'd driven in together that morning, he couldn't just leave her behind. The look on her face when he gave her the news was just priceless. Despite gunning for the position himself, he couldn't argue with the final choice. He had been competing with Audrey Lim his entire professional life and hadn't come out on top yet!

Footsteps approached and he held his breath. "You're still here?" "Of course" he replied. "Let's go home".

The short walk to the car and the drive was quiet with a tension hanging in the air. They drove directly to his place, no discussions, using it as a silent confirmation that he didn't want this to be over. The last 4 weeks had been amongst the best he'd ever had and he was in no rush for that to end.

They arrived back at his condo 30 minutes later, the tension between them thick. Neither of them wanting to break the stalemate and have 'the talk'. Heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner, they moved around each other like it was a well rehearsed dance. Passing items back and forth, hands touching lightly trying to communicate without words.

With the table set, and the dinner ready, they had run out of places to hide. They couldn't sit in silence all night could they? Plates of steaming pasta in front of them accompanied by full glasses of wine. Audrey took a deep breath..."we need to talk".

"Where do you want to start?" asked Neil. "I can honestly say these last 4 weeks of my life have been the happiest so far, I don't want that to change."

"Do your think we can continue with this relationship whilst I'm your boss?" said Audrey. "It's not going to be a short term thing. I've accepted the job and I intend to be doing it for years to come."

Neil balked a bit at her brutal honesty. He shouldn't have expected anything less but it hurt a bit to hear the words out loud.

Shocked by the look on his face at her abrupt words, she took a moment. "Sorry, that didn't come out right. It's a new thing for me, trying to focus on my personal life. It's not something I'm finding easy."

He gave a small smile and let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding. "Ok, let's try again. You're the new Head of Surgery. Let's try and figure out what we are" as he gestured between them.

"Let's look at this logically. We have options don't we?" Audrey said. 'We could end this thing between us and go back to the way it was before?" Neil sighed, he had guessed that would be option one. Not really something he wanted to consider but at least it had been said out loud.

Neil countered with "We could carry on as we are now? We've been approved? They must have realised this could be a possibility when they offered you the job!"

"We could go back to keeping it just between us? " was her next suggestion. Not an option she really wanted but if they were going to do this, they needed to do it properly.

That was met with a resounding "No" from Neil. She expected that. He was the one that pushed for them to be honest with their friends and colleagues. He had been her guide in this new relationship and she had followed, trying to communicate her feelings as well as he could. It had been hard but she trusted his judgement. The secret option was off the table.

They continued to eat in a more comfortable silence, feeling relieved that the conversation had started. The conversation would also end this same evening but neither knew quite how.

Once dinner was done, they cleared up and pottered around the kitchen to get things squared away. They refilled their glasses and headed to the sofa to continue their debate.

They sat close together. His hand on her thigh and her fingers absent mildly stroking the hair at the back of his neck.

"I say let's give it a try. What's the worst that could happen. If it doesn't work we'll go back to being friends"

"Could you do that? I'm not sure I could! It took long enough for us to admit these feeling. It would be hard to put them all back in the box"

They turned to face each other. He looked up into her eyes, deep beautiful pools which could drown him in an instant. "C'mon Aud, we could do this. Have you felt like this before? We've got something special here, I know it. "

"What if it's just lust? All these years of no touching because we were with other people. What if this is just a manifestation of that?"

"It's more than that to me. I know it. But let's be honest here. If you're not going to even try and commit to this then we should call it a day now. Call me an old romantic, but I don't want to fall more in love with you then have to stop"

She looks up with a shocked look on her face. "You love me?" She asked. He nodded sheepishly, this wasn't the grand romantic gesture he thought it would be when he told her. A silence lingered for what felt like an eternity. Neil waited. She finally said quietly "I love you too"

A wave of relief seemed to wash over them. They both let out big sighs then moved in to wrap their arms around each other. "That was a bit tense!" Audrey said. "Almost though we weren't going to make it!" She joked.

They pulled apart slightly, just enough to look at each other. Her eyes flickered to his lips and he gave a little smirk. "I wonder if it will be different now that's all out in the open?" He asked.

"Only one way to find out" she replied closing in for a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

She waited.

She watched his handsome face while he slept. So peaceful. Last night had been challenging but their admissions to each other had led to a new level of intimacy between them. She woke this morning with her nose almost touching his, legs tangled and feeling relaxed.

She drew back to take in his whole face. He had the smallest hint of a smile and she wondered what he was dreaming about. "See something you like?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep. He stretched his lean body and wrapped his arms tightly around her kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Do you have plans this weekend" she asked.

"Nothing solid" he replied. "I'll be visiting Gabi but that's flexible. What were you thinking?"

"Let's go out"

"Erm, okay. Anywhere in particular in mind?"

"Just out. Let's go for brunch them spend the afternoon in Kelley Park. They have a beautiful Japanese Garden I'd like to see."

Neil couldn't help the look of confusion that crossed his face. Audrey looked shy all of a sudden. "I just thought it'd be nice to go out properly. We don't have to hide anymore and I've never really had a reason to go there before and..."

"Stop, stop, stop! It's fine, I'd love to go with you. I just wasn't expecting that! I was expecting something a little more rough and tumble."

"Rough and tumble hey...I'm sure that can be arranged. Brunch is a late morning thing, I'm sure we can entertain ourselves until then." Audrey quipped raising her eyebrows.

"You are incorrigible woman! But I'm not going to argue." He leaned in for a long kiss and got to work building an appetite for brunch.

-‐-

An hour or so later, they were dressed and ready to go. She didn't think she'd tire of seeing him dressed casually. She appreciated his sharp suits and tight shirts and even the baggy hospital scrubs highlighted his toned arms. But this was a look she could get used too. He was in casual jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, nothing special but she couldn't resist giving him the once over.

Neil chose the brunch location. They headed to Southern Kitchen to fuel up for the day. It was an odd looking place with a small seating area but the menu had some nice Mexican specialities which he particularly enjoyed. They shared a couple of their giant plates to fill them for the afternoon. Paying the cheque, they drove to Kelley Park to spend the rest of the day.

They spent the remainder of their afternoon strolling hand in hand like any other couple, enjoying the peace in comparison to their normal hectic lifestyle. Picking up a coffee from a park vendor, they chose a quiet spot on a bench inside the Friendship Garden to take the weight of their feet. Audrey let out a big sigh, closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face.

Neil took this chance to study her. 'She really is beautiful' he thought to himself. He placed his arm along the back of the bench, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was sure she was falling asleep! Leaning in and dropping a little kiss on her neck. She startled and just managed to keep hold of her coffee. Jumping quickly to her own defence "it's been a busy week, I haven't slept much" she exclaimed! He chuckled and countered "And I thought I'd kept you awake all night!" That earned him a smack on the arm and a lingering kiss on the lips.

After wandering around for another couple of hours people watching, they decided it was time to head home. It was an easy decision, they had done the normal couple thing for a bit but neither of them could wait to get back to being just the two of them. One more stop on the way back at the market for dinner supplies and they'd be done.

He waited. 

He waited with the small cart honestly wondering how long Audrey was going to try and haggle at the meat counter. At this point, he would have eaten at one of those dodgy burrito trucks she favoured given half the chance!

This steaks were the last thing they needed to pick up and then they could go but apparently the correct marbling was the most important thing right now. He wandered off to pick up another bottle of wine, they had finished one last night during their heart to heart so needed to stock up. When he came back he was happy to see Audrey had finished her great debate but was now chatting with a familiar blonde. 

"Dr. Reznick" said Neil. 

"Dr. Melendez, hello! Dr Lim and I were just discussing how much of a power couple you two are becoming"

Audrey raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes as Morgan tried to engage with Neil. She knew the conversation wouldn't last long. He had never really had much time for all the ass kissing that went on and would shut it down as soon as possible. Reznick was going to be a great doctor but she had a few social quirks she needed to work on too. 

On hearing Neil close the conversation with a quick "see you Monday" she snapped out of her reverie. "Goodnight Dr Reznick" she chimed in.

Audrey took the cart and made towards the checkout, stopping suddenly when a colourful display caught her eye. "You ok? " Neil asked catching up to her and casually placing a hand on her hip. "Sure" she replied. "I was thinking, maybe I could come with you tomorrow, you know, to see Gabi. I could bring her a little something?" 

Neil smiled "That would be great, she would love to meet you. What were you thinking? " They stood a little while choosing something. With his guidance, she chose a new puzzle with some zoo animals. "She'll love it" Neil assured her and they continued to the front of the store.

At the checkout, once all the items were unloaded in the belt, Neil stepped in close behind her to trap her against the handle of the cart. Her dropped a couple of light kisses on her neck and whispered "thank you" in her ear. She shivered. He pressed the full length of his body against her back and continued with "I'll show you later just how grateful I am". If she hadn't been held up between Neil and the cart she was sure her knees would have buckled!

They were snapped out of their own little world buy a shrill "Next" from the checkout person. Audrey could feel herself blushing and Neil grinned away her reaction. She heard herself apologising to the lady who responded with a smile and said "it's nice to see two young people so in love". They both blushed at that!

Walking to the car, Audrey was quiet again, she seemed to be lost in thought. They loaded the trunk with the bags, she returned the cart and ever the gentleman, Neil opened the car door. As she approached, with a worried tone Neil asked "Was that ok? I mean, I thought it would be ok to do that in public now seeing as all this is out in the open." She opened her mouth to respond but he jumped in again with "Sorry, I didn't think, I'll..." 

She shook her head, placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him soundly not caring who was watching. Right there in there middle of the car park, once again she staked her claim on Neil Melendez. He smiled again, panic over and mumbled into her lips "Let's go home." 


	3. Chapter 3

After arriving home that night, they worked efficiently together to get everything squared away. Dinner was made (the steaks were fantastic), they changed into something more comfortable and settled down to watch some crappy cable movie neither of them had seen before.

Audrey's attention wasn't held for long. She looked down at him, he had his head in her lap. She ran his fingers through his hair and smiled as his eyes rolled at the sensation. He hadn't shaved since they'd left work on Friday and she liked him looking a bit dishevelled. He always looked so clean cut and controlled at work, which she loved, but she was enjoying this side of him. Relaxed and easy going. It seemed she could have the best of both worlds.

The movie eventually finished and she dragged him off to bed. She was sure that he would have slept the night on the sofa if she hadn't. They got into bed and Neil shuffled closer, wrapping his arms around from behind and burying his nose in her hair. She shivered as goosebumps covered her from head to toe. It seems he was more awake than she thought as he began nibbling just behind her ear, the day old stubble scratching deliciously. They melted into each other and finally fell asleep intertwined.

The following morning, Neil woke to find the bed cold and empty. "Audrey!" he called "you here?" The was no reply. He checked his phone, the was a message waiting for him.

'I got an Uber back to mine. I need to refresh my overnight bag and grab some bits and pieces'

He replied quickly 'Ok, need me to come get you?'

'It's Ok, I'll be back in about an hour'

'Bring breakfast' he countered.

'Sure, see you soon!'

She arrived back at the condo around an hour later. She had taken the spare key from the kitchen drawer so let herself in. Walking through the hall, she hears a muffled woman's voice coming from the living room and her footsteps faltered. He'd invited someone over while she was out? She never thought he would do something like that. Her heart pounded in her chest and she moved towards the door to peer through the gap. She smiled inwardly when she saw what was going on. She saw Neil holding himself strongly in a crane pose, his muscles straining to hold his balance. The woman's voice resonated from the TV instructing and encouraging him. 'Yoga' she thought 'that explains a lot' and chastised herself for the moment of doubt that crossed her mind.

She watched for a few seconds more and headed off to the kitchen, not wanting to disturb his practice. She pottered around readying breakfast, not making noise on purpose but making it obvious she was back. Around 10 minutes later, Neil appeared in the doorway. "Hey" he said. "Hey, yourself" she replied with a soft smile. "Worked up an appetite I see" she joked. "Missed you this morning. It would have been more fun to work up an appetite with you" he said trapping her against the counter.

"You're all sticky" she commented pressing at his shoulders with her fingertips. His vest was stuck tight to him after his practice. "Go shower , then we can eat"

"Come shower with me, we can have dessert first"

"Who has dessert with breakfast?!"

"We do. We'll be doing all sorts of things differently this week coming. Why not start now?" He asked with a big grin.

"I hope you're not going to use that smile in every disagreement we have?"

"Will it get me what I want?"

"Maybe" she replied as she took his hand and led him to the shower.

They eventually got to eating a very late breakfast and started getting bits together for their visit to Gabi. They travelled to the home in Neil's car with the radio playing in the background. Audrey was apprehensive and fidgety. What if Gabi didn't like her? She'd never been bothered in the past about whether people liked her but Gabi was so important to Neil that she was really starting to get nervous. 

Neil reached over and held her hand in her lap. "She'll love you, just like I do, don't worry."

"How in earth did you know what I was thinking?"

"I've known you a long time Audrey Lim and this is the first time I think I've ever seen you nervous. You'll get along just fine." 

His hand stayed in her lap the rest of the drive but she couldn't relax. They pulled up outside a nice looking building with lovely gardens. They checked in at reception, her hand in his the whole time. They directed them towards the day room that Gabi was using that day and they took a brief moment to watch her from the door before going in. 

As they approached, Neil tightened his grip on Audrey's hand. "Mi amorcito, there is someone I'd like you to meet"... 

As they got back in the car a couple of hours later, Audrey left out a sigh of relief. "You ok?" He asked. 

"Yes" she replied. "I think that went well don't you. She's a lovely young lady." 

"It went very well, I felt like the third wheel today! Exactly how I was hoping it would go." 

She smiled so beautifully at that. She was so happy to meet Gabi and even happier that she liked her. The puzzle gift definitely worked as an ice breaker and there was no stopping them after that. 

Heading home, they stopped off for takeout at a place around the corner. Something quick and easy as it would be an early night tonight. They both had a busy week ahead in work with new roles and planned surgeries so needed to be at their best. 

As they settled under the comforter, and into each others arms. Audrey took a deep breath and asked "How are we going to do this? What's our plan?" 

"Why do we have to have a plan?"

"I always have a plan. I feel exposed without one. I mean, how will we arrive in work? Do i kiss you goodbye? Do we meet for lunch? I'm not used to not knowing what I'm doing." 

"We'll drive in together tomorrow, just like we did last week and then we can wing it. I'll happily hold your hand and walk you right up to our office doors before kissing you goodbye and wishing you a good day. But if that's not what you want, that's fine too. I also promise not to drag you into any supply closets to make out no matter how much i want too!" 

She laughed and smacked his arm. "Ok, you made your point smartass."

He gave a chuckle and kissed the tip of her nose. "Night Audrey" he said. 

"Night... love you" she replied.

"Love you too Chief" he retorted and they settled into sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

Next morning they woke with their alarms piercing their peaceful dreams. After hitting the snooze just the once, they rose to start the day. Audrey was just buttoning her blouse as Neil emerged from the bathroom. He was clean shaven again and she gave an audible sign. "My weekend bit of rough has gone" she teased as he approached. He raised his eyebrows at her quip and put his arms around her waist as they stood nose to nose. She put her hands on his cheeks, smooth and closely shaven, and kissed him mumbling "But I definitely like this look too."

Wrapping his arms more tightly, she gave an unintentional squeak. He kissed her soundly as their bodies made contact from head to toe. "Just getting enough to get me through the day" he joked but was only half kidding. He was going to miss seeing and touching her whenever he wanted. They had experienced an epiphany this weekend and he was certainly heading into a new week on a high.

They drove in together in Neil's car but instead of stopping around the corner to let Audrey out, they drove into the parking lot and into the space reserved for Dr. Melendez. They paused a while after parking, sitting in comfortable silence until Audrey broke the stalemate. "Let's get going, I don't want to be late on my first day."

"Sure thing Chief" he replied.

"Are you really going to be calling me that in there?"

"I'll stop if you want but I quite like it. Better than babe or sweetheart right!"

"Don't you dare!" She laughed.

They got out of the car and started towards the hospital with a number of other staff members milling around.

"Come on, let's go Dr. Lim"

"I actually prefer Chief" she remarked kidding him on the cheek and walking off.

They walked in stride through the building, casually greeting people as they passed. They stopped outside Audrey's new office. There was her name in bold black lettering 'Dr. Audrey Lim, Chief of Surgery'. She beamed and turned to Neil. "Thank you" she said.

"What for?"

"Making me work at this" she said nodding between them. "It's going to make me even better at this" she said.

He gave a big smile back "Not a problem" he replied. "Have a great first day. Try not to strangle Andrews and you'll be just fine." 

"Deal"

"See you later, Chief" he smirked.

"Bye minion" she countered, giving him a quick peck and opening the door and taking her first steps into her new role.

As the day came to a close, Neil knocked on her office door and entered. "How did it go? " he asked. "I haven't seen you all day, I'm hoping that's a good thing?" 

She sighed and sat back in her chair. "The whole day has been one giant induction. Meeting after meeting. I don't think I've seen a single patient all day."

"Wow. That sounds... interesting" he said.

"Nope, well maybe a little bit. But mostly nope"

"Well, we're done for today aren't we?" He asked.

"I've got a tonne of reading to do for tomorrows meetings"

"But you don't have to do it here right? Let's go."

"Yes please" she replied. She stood and started piling files and papers together. Packing what she needed into her case she gave another sigh. "I'm going to need a bigger case." 

She threw her case into the trunk and got in the car in a bit of a bad mood. "Maybe I should go home, you know, back to my place?"

"Why?"

"I don't want to bore you with all this. I don't think I'm going to be very much fun this week with all these meetings going on."

"Ok, maybe you'll be a bore, but at least I can make sure you eat and sleep a bit" he suggested.

"Alright" she replied. "But promise if you change your mind, you'll say."

"I'm sure I can entertain myself for a while, don't worry about it."

She looked and raised an eyebrow at that. "Get your mind out of the gutter woman!"

After they ate dinner, Audrey settled into her reading and Neil flicked the television onto a baseball game. Not really fussed on who was playing but something to pass the time. The game finished and he checked the clock, it was gone 10.30 and Audrey was still sat at the table. 'Right' he thought to himself. 'Time to be a distraction' as he got up from the sofa and moved towards her. He put his hand on her shoulders and started moving them in a circular motion. She groaned and her head lolled backward against him with her eyes shut.

"Let's go Lim" he said sternly.

"What, where?"

"Bed. To sleep. You're going to be a mess in the morning otherwise. Come in, move it."

"Aren't you a charmer" she said, eyes still closed.

"Not tonight! Come on, on your feet, let's go!"

She got up slowly, tidied her papers a little and shuffled off in front of him to the bedroom, too tired to lift her feet properly. She got into bed as she was and was almost asleep as Neil came out of the bathroom.

"G'night" she mumbled into her pillow.

"Night" he replied, kidding her forehead. He laid down next to her and brushed her hair back from her face. He watched her for a while as she slept. She looked peaceful for the first time since they arrived at the hospital that morning. He didn't want to be the overbearing boyfriend but he was a little worried this job wasn't going to be what she thought it was. Audrey Lim lived for the buzz of the Emergency Room and the surgeries. He hoped the meetings and bureaucracy of the role didn't take that away from her.

He drifted off to sleep with a protective arm draped over her hoping that tomorrow would be better.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern and both of them were going to be glad to see the weekend. Neil was on call so they couldn't venture far but they planned to use the time to catch up with each other and just hang out.

Audrey was already asleep when Neil arrived home in the early hours of Saturday morning. She had claimed the spare key from the kitchen and had made herself at home. Again she had collapsed into bed in her clothes and this time even still had her shoes on. He watched from the doorway for a moment, she was exhausted. A different kind of exhausted from their residency. Being overworked as a young doctor comes with the territory but they both thought they had progressed past that part of their careers. Sure there were times, like tonight, where surgeries would overrun due to complications and such, but he never thought they'd be worked to exhaustion again.

He stripped down and got under the comforter as gently as possible trying not to disturb her. She didn't wake but automatically moved towards him and he wrapped his arms around her and drifted off to sleep.

They woke slowly the next morning in their own time, stirring and stretching and just lying there, in the quiet. Eventually Audrey spoke. "Morning handsome".

"Morning beautiful" he replied.

"Should we get up?"

"Nope." He said.

"What about breakfast?"

"Nope"

"We going to stay here all day?" She asked.

"That sounds like a great plan to me. I've missed you this week."

She gave a smile at his cheeky request but was glad. This week had taken it out of her and she could do with recharging her batteries. They lay together catching up on the week and sharing light touches and kisses. Audrey told him all about some of the more crazy hospital policies she'd learned about and Neil updated her on his surgeries. He knew she'd know all about them anyways, but still. He had also been to visit Gabi in the week while she was at a board meeting and Audrey was delighted to hear she'd been asking after her. They agreed they would go together again as soon as possible.

They eventually decided to rise when Neil's stomach gave an almighty growl. "I'll go put the coffee on" Neil said. He stretched and got out of bed "You stay here, I'll be ten minutes" he said. He was dressed in just his pajama bottoms and as he walked out, Audrey gave a low whistle of appreciation and could see him shaking his head as he made his way to the kitchen.

She wrapped herself back up in the comforter to wait and within minutes, she could smell the wonderful rich coffee they enjoyed and the aroma of eggs and bacon. That made her stomach start to rumble and by the time Neil brought in the plate, she was sat up waiting. "Turns out I don't have any trays sorry, just try not to drop it in bed."

"I'm sure I'll manage" she replied. "Thank you, it smells amazing."

He returned with his plate a moment later and Audreys plate was almost clear. "Enjoyed that then?" He teased.

"To be honest, I don't remember having dinner last night" she said. "Turns out I was more hungry than I thought!"

They ate the rest of their breakfast in comfortable silence until Audrey asked "What are we really doing today?"

"Honestly, nothing much. I'm on call so can't go far."

"I know" she said, "this is the last couple of weeks of Hans schedule but after that I'll have input so I can try and get us some time together."

"That would be good but watch you don't get accused of favouritism" he teased. Her face went serious 'I'd never do that, you should know that."

"Okay, okay, I was teasing but I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was a sensitive subject"

She sighed "I'm sorry, I'm being over sensitive. There has just been a bit of office gossip this week about us and I'm just hyper aware that I cannot play favourites."

"Like what? Who would think that?"

"I overheard a couple of residents that's all. Saying that you'd get all the best surgeries and every weekend off because we're sleeping together."

"That's bullshit! He exclaimed. "The board knew what they were getting when they hired you so you don't need to worry about that."

She nodded in agreement. "I know, I know people are thinking it but I never expected anyone to actually say it. I suppose I'm just disappointed."

"Are you going to do anything about it?"

"I think that would just add fuel to the fire. If there even is a fire. I think I'll just wait and see. And no, before you ask I'm not going to tell you who it was. I don't need you defending my honour."

"That's fine, not sure I'd be able to stop myself being an asshole to them" he joked. "They don't even have their facts right though so forget about it."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"We aren't just sleeping together, we're adults in a committed relationship aren't we?"

"Erm, yes" she replied, slightly puzzled at this new direction.

He looked a little nervous and began to speak without meeting her eyes.

"So I was thinking that maybe, because we're not going to be able to see each other as much, maybe you'd want to bring some of your stuff over here and leave it here. There is plenty of space here and it would so great to see you as much as possible."

She realised what he was asking straight away. He was asking her to move in! He was normally so confident and arrogant that this nervousness surprised her. Should she tease him a bit and stretch this out?

"I sound like a bloody stalker" he muttered to himself. He looked up at her, the smile on her face made the nerves melt away. She realised she hasn't said anything and her mind raced to get the right words.

"Are you sure?" She put her hand up to stop him answering straight away. "I'm hard work, I can be grumpy and I really like junk food sometimes."

He laughed "I know all that stuff. And I know your kind, secretly sensitive and so bloody beautiful. I'm sure I'll cope"

"Then yeah, why not" she replied.

He breathed a sigh of relief and reached into his bedside table. He presented her with a little gift box and she beamed at him. "Really? I stole the kitchen key last week you know."

"I know, but this one is yours." He said feeling a bit self conscious again. He was amazed that she had the power to do this to him, she turned him into a giddy teenager but he loved it.

She opened the box and inside was a brand new shiny key attached to a keychain in the shape of an 'A'. She ran her fingers over it, smiling to herself. "Thank you" she said.

"My absolute pleasure" he replied.

She packed the key back carefully and placed it on her bedside table. She turned to him, shuffled closer and took his face in her hands. "Seriously, thank you, you beautiful man."

"Seriously, my pleasure"

She ran her hands down to his shoulders and moved to straddle his lap. He put his hands to her hips to hold her steady and looked at her. "This is it for me you know?" She said seriously "I'm yours for as long as you want me."

"I'm gonna want you forever Audrey Lim, so it would appear your stuck with me."

"Fine by me" she countered, leaning in for a kiss. 


	6. Chapter 6

The reviews have been very kind. Thank you very much

The next few months passed in a blur. Their schedules were mismatched but they snatched time together where they could whether it was breakfast in the cafeteria or a late dinner at home. They found it hard but it was certainly easier now that they lived together. Audrey had moved things in quite gradually and was sub-letting her place to a hospital employee.

Over breakfast in small diner nearby one morning, the conversation turned to the amount of time they were spending apart. Melendez was on his way home and Lim was on her way in to they took the hour in between to see each other. "Let's put in for some leave" Audrey suggested. "I can't remember the last time I took a vacation, do you?"

He looked at her with a smile. "Where were you thinking?"

"Anywhere!" She replied. "Somewhere warm and far enough that they can't call us in would be great."

"How should we do this? You get your leave authorised by Andrews right? Maybe I should do the same so that there isn't any comeback." 

She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Best to do this the way of least resistance and avoid speculation.

"Let's arrange a meeting with him to go through this. It's a good idea and should stop any future issues." 

It was another week before they could both get in to meet with Andrews. They had discussed what they were going to say and had pretty high hopes.

"Dr. Lim, Dr Melendez. Good to see you both. What are we're discussing today?"

Andrews seemed in a remarkably good mood. He had been on his best behaviour since the scandal with Han. He had overruled the board and fired him after seeing how much more of an asset Shaun was to the hospital in the long term. His relationship with the board was fragile but his actions had led to greater respect from lower level staff. They felt that there was actually someone back in charge who would fight for the 'little people' just like Glassman used too. 

"Well, we were discussing taking a vacation" began Audrey.

"And we thought that it might be best if you were to review and authorise my leave going forward to avoid any issues with favouritism." Neil continued.

"Very good idea." agreed Andrews. "Where were you thinking of heading?"

"South for some sunshine we think" said Audrey smiling.

"Great, sort yourselves some dates and I'll authorise them and you can get planning."

"Thanks Dr Andrews" said Audrey. She visibly relaxed at his response.

"Yes, thanks very much" asked Neil. "Thanks for your understanding."

Andrews smiled as he let out a sigh of relief. "I must admit, when I heard that you both needed to see me, I thought we were going to be having a more serious discussion today along the lines of maternity leave!" he laughed. He didn't notice the shocked looks that passed over his doctor's faces as he dismissed them. "Have a good day both" giving them signal to leave. 

They looked at each other, stood up and left with a mumbled "thank you" from both of them. They walked back to their offices in silence. There was a tension between them which would have been obvious to anyone within a five mile radius. 

"I've got another meeting" Audrey stammered.

"I've got a consult" Neil replied. "See you later?" 

"Sure, have a good day" she said as she felt herself cringing inwardly. She sounded like an idiot. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and made his way off to his patient.

Audrey slouched into her chair and started taking her frustration out on some of the reports in front of her. What had Andrews gone and said that for? They hadn't even discussed it a little bit and now there it was, the topic that had ended Neil's last relationship. It had never been something she'd thought about during her marriage but this relationship with Neil was so very different. 

She text him a quick message 'I'm heading home, see you later' which he could pick up once he'd finished his consult. She just wanted to get out of there to try and figure out what she was going to say in the conversation that was obviously coming later. 

An hour later, Neil caught up with his messages. 'She'd be long gone by now' he thought. Dammit. He didn't think this conversation would come up so soon, he knew it would eventually but he was happy in blissful ignorance. He had another few hours before his shift ended and at least one surgery so he needed to focus. Hopefully Audrey wasn't stressing too much.

Around 8pm, Neil finally finished his shift. The surgery had been successful which put him on a temporary high. They would have to talk soon? Maybe even tonight? He dropped her a text 'Have you had dinner? Shall I bring takeout?' And went about packing his papers to take home. 

His phone pinged with a reply 'I haven't, dinner would be great.'

He smiled to himself as he finished packing up and made his way to his car. He would stop in at her favourite food truck on the way to get some of those nasty burritos she'd loved.

He elbowed his way in through the front door, his arms full of bags. "Hi, I'm home!" He called.

"Hi" she called from the kitchen. He followed the sound of her voice and found her at the kitchen table surrounded by paperwork.

"You look busy" he said inwardly rolling his eyes. 'You sound like an idiot Melendez, shut up' he thought.

"Yeah" she replied simply.

"Ready for dinner now?" He asked.

"Sure, I'll clear space."

She smiled at him when she realised where he'd been for takeout. He noticed that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes as it normally did. 

"What are we going to do about this." She asked.

"Same as we've done with every problem so far. Eat our dinner and talk about it like grown ups" he replied. 

She smiled more openly at that.

Sitting down more comfortably after dinner, glasses full, they passed the time with idle chit chat.

Eventually, Neil started the conversation they were dreading "Are we going to talk about this?"

"I suppose we should" she replied. "How do you feel about what Andrews said?" 

"For starters, it's none of his business. I think we're doing a great job of keeping our private life private. The vacation issue is the only thing that's come up." 

"True" she agreed. "But we should talk it out, just to make sure we're on the same page." She took a deep breath and asked "do you want to have children?"

"I do...I mean, I did." Here shook his head, this wasn't coming out as he thought it would. "I want you Audrey, and whatever comes with that. Whether it's kids or whether we are the crazy old people in the neighbourhood with ten cats. What about you? Do you want kids?"

"I think so. I've never really thought about it before, I've never been settled enough to even think about it. It feels very early in the relationship to be thinking about this but I am very aware I'm not getting any younger and I'm past my prime fertility wise. But I also know that any children of ours would be beautiful." She said with a smile.

"And smart, and a handful!" he added. 

They sat for a bit, lost in their own thoughts. 

Audrey spoke first. "What if we gave it a try but didn't really try?" She asked.

"Sorry?" 

"I mean, how about we just stop being so careful. We have a great sex life so let's just see what happens? If it happens then great, if not then we'll get some cats. " 

"No stress then?" 

"Nope. No charts, moon cycles or running home to do it because I'm ovulating. Just see what happens." 

"I think that would be great" he replied. He felt nervous and excited at the same time.

"Settled then" she smiled.

He put his arm out along the back of the sofa and she moved to settle in under it. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head sweetly and simply said "love you". 


	7. Chapter 7

Just a quick reassurance before we start that we won't be rushing to get a baby into this story. It was just a chat I wanted out of the way as it was so important in ending the last relationship. I'm enjoying myself too much

/

It was another couple of days before they had some time off together. It was just a mid week day off work, no surgeries or meetings and neither was on call. They woke slowly that morning, no alarms and just enjoyed waking up together for a change.

They were sat having breakfast and she heard "Fancy coming to a yoga class with me today?" She almost spat out her coffee.

"What? Why on earth?" She laughed.

"Yeah really. Mid week classes are normally quiet, it'll be fun."

"It'll be something but I'm not sure I'd call it fun."

"Ok let's make a deal. You come to some classes with me and when you get your license back I'll come out with you on the bike"

"Really" she exclaimed. "You always called my bikes 'donor machines'. Why on earth would you do that?"

He rolled his eyes, "yes really. Considering that we're living together then don't you think we should embrace these sides of each other? I'm not sayin I'll enjoy it but maybe i could figure out why you love it so much... and then never do it again" he laughed.

"Wow, sure, ok then. Your right again. You know you're going to have to let me be the grown up in the relationship at some point you know!"

Neil just smiled.

"What time is the class?" She asked in between mouthfuls of breakfast.

"10 down at the Sportsplex" he replied. He checked the clock "best get moving."

"I need to shower first"

"Um, no after!"

"No before. I'm gross. How will I compete with all the yummy mummies in yoga pants like this!"

This time it was Neil's turn to almost spit out his coffee "you're mad woman."

"Yeah and I'm aaaaaalllllll yours" she replied over her shoulder on the way to get ready.

/

Class was not a roaring success by any stretch of the imagination. He had honestly never seen anyone with less balance than Audrey Lim. How she ever managed to stay upright on two feet astounded him.

In the car on the way back to the condo, they sat in a comfortable silence. Neil had enjoyed class as usual but looking at Audrey he couldn't really tell. She was sat with her eyes closed enjoying the sunshine on her face and he didn't want to disturb.

As they pulled into his parking space, she startled and half shouted "I'm awake."

"Sure you are" he replied. "Maybe you enjoyed after all?'

"God no, that was mortally embarrassing and I'm never going again. But I wouldn't say no if you wanted to go through some of it again at home together."

"We can definitely do that" he smiled.

"And besides, I won't have to share you with all those other ladies. They couldn't keep their eyes off you."

He looked at her surprised "is the unflappable Audrey Lim jealous?" He teased.

"No, of course not" she argued. "Well, maybe a bit. But can you blame me, those women were almost drooling!"

He let out a big belly laugh at that one. "I did not see this coming"

"Stop being an ass"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just surprised that's all."

"At least if we carry on at home, you can practise with no shirt on for me to ogle at you properly!"

"You have no shame, but I love it" he smiled.

"We can practise tonight if you like" she said with a wink.

/

After a light lunch, they were at a loose end again. Lim excused herself to make a calls while Neil busied himself clearing up and doing some prep for dinner. Once he was set, he headed off to find Audrey. Not in the office where he expected her to be, she was say on the bed chatting away. He waited outside the door a little while listening then gave a light knock and pushed the door ajar. She waved him in and gave a thumbs up, a sign to let him know that he could go about his business.

A few minutes later she finished up her call and put the handset on the bedside cabinet.

"I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose, I thought you meant business calls"

"Unless you've developed fluent mandarin recently I think I'm safe! That was mom."

"All ok?" He asked.

"Sure, just a regular check in. The is one thing though."

"Which is?"

"She wants to meet you?"

He froze, "Um, ok. We're at the parents meeting stage then are we?"

"It appears so. She seemed a little hung up on the name Melendez though so could be interesting."

"How did your ex husband talk her around?"

"He's an ex for a reason" she quipped!

"Crap!"

"You owe me, Melendez after this morning's disaster."

"No way, we made a deal. I'd go on that bike if you did yoga".

"I'm not due to get my licence back for another 7 months. You'll probably owe me for something else by then!"

He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed "Fine, next full day we have off, we'll go for lunch. That ok? That way if she doesn't like me I've still got a few hours of the day left to myself. "

"I'm sure you'll be fine, but that's a good idea just in case!" She laughed.

/

They spent the rest of the day just pottering around and then prepared and ate a great dinner. They were very much enjoying cooking together. Neil had always cooked but it was quite a new thing for Audrey and she was enjoying rediscovering some dishes from her childhood. Tonight's dish was a delicious, rich beef noodle soup which reminded her of sitting at her mother's kitchen table. It was just what she needed after chatting with her mum today and she enjoyed sharing the memories with Neil.

After dinner, Neil rose with purpose and startled her a little.

"Let's get started" he said.

"What are you taking about?"

"You had better start teaching me some Mandarin if I'm going to impress your mum."

"Ah, what would the residents say if they could see the sweet Neil Melendez I know" she teased.

"I'd deny it all." He retorted with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

The opportunity for lunch came a week later. They didn't quite have the full day off together as Neil was on call but he insisted that it would be fine and he could use it as an excuse to escape if he needed too. They stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, they were a little early and Neil protested that he needed as much fresh air as he could get to get through the next couple of hours.

"So what if she doesn't like me?" He asked.

"Then you'll know" Audrey replied.

"Really! No words of reassurance? You're just going with that?"

"Pretty much, yeah" she said. "Not much you'll do to change her mind today so just remember I love you. I'm the one that matters!"

"Great" he muttered to himself.

She placed her hands on his cheeks and looked him in the eyes. "I love you, if she hates you, I'll still love you." She kissed him soundly and he melted into it. He felt for a brief moment that he could handle this as she took his hand and led him indoors.

They were sat at a table in the small restaurant as she arrived. It was set for four but as she was seated and confirmed to the host she was alone, they cleared it away.

As Neil was on call, he stuck with the water. Audrey suggested to her mom that they split a bottle of wine. Once they reviewed the menu and gave their orders, they settled in to get to know one another.

"So" started Mrs. Lim. "Audrey tells me you work together?"

"Yes Ma'am" he replied. "We've worked together for about 10 years now."

"Please don't Ma'am me, I'm not 80 years old. I'm not here to give you the third degree young man. I just wanted to meet the man that made my daughter so happy. I've been able to hear her smiling down the phone so you must be quite something."

Caught off guard, he just took a few sips of his water to give himself some time to think.

"I'm just going to freshen up before food arrives" she announced and took herself off to the bathroom.

Neil turned to Audrey and whispered "What was that all about? I thought you said she was interested because my name was Melendez. I thought we were going to have a problem here."

"Oh no" replied Audrey. "She's genuinely interested as it's a common Filipino name too. She's been dying to meet you."

"You mean she wasn't..."

"Nope"

"So there isn't a problem?"

"Nope"

"You're unreal! You'll be paying for that later. I've been nervous all week!"

"I know, and it's been so sweet" she said. "I'll make it up to you later. Now behave, she's coming back."

/

The rest of lunch went so smoothly, Neil couldn't even remember he had been nervous. The food was great and the conversation flowed easily. Once it was time to make a move, Neil excused himself to use the bathroom. On the way, he stopped by the counter to pick up the check. He didn't want the only disagreement of the day to be about who paid the bill.

On arriving back at the table, he was promptly scolded by Mrs. Lim to which he suggested that next time they get together, she can treat them. Audrey squeezed his thigh under the table and mouthed 'thank you' and he squeezed her hand back.

Mrs. Lims ride was waiting for her at the kerb so she gave Audrey a hug, whispering in her ear "he's a good one, you can keep him" with a wink and a kiss.

"Thanks Mom, I think I will" she replied taking his hand. Neil reached out his free hand to say goodbye and was also engulfed in a hug. She whispered "keep making her happy."

"Yes Ma'am" he replied with a smile.

They watched as she drove away then turned to head back to their car.

"That went well didn't it?" He asked.

"Absolutely. Sorry for teasing you though, you're just so sweet sometimes i can't help it!"

"That's ok, you're gonna have to meet my family at some point. Revenge is sweet" he said with a smile.

/

Arriving back at the condo, they decided they were going to shop for the vacation. Start looking at some ideas of where to go. They both had a full week off in June but that was only 3 weeks away. Just as they were settling down with their tablets at the ready, Neil's phone rang. He answered quickly.

"I've got to go, sorry" he said kissing her. "Keep looking and show me when i get home."

"Sure," she said. "And Neil, thanks for today."

"Anytime sweetheart" he quipped and ducked out the door as a pillow came sailing towards him.


	9. Chapter 9

They were in good spirits after booking their vacation so the week after when they had their first fight, it came as a bolt out of the blue.

It started as Neil arrived home one morning exhausted from spending over 48 hours at the hospital to find her working from home. Files spread all over the kitchen table, she had yelled away him to stay away as they were confidential.

His response to this was to loudly point out that she shouldn't be working on that sort of stuff from home, especially when she knew he was due back. And maybe, after spending two days at the hospital, he didn't want to come home to more work.

There was yelling and door banging about it all which only ended when Neil went to bed to sleep off his shift.

Audrey sat with her head in her hands for a while then packed up her things and headed to the hospital. She was upset that they had argued so viciously over something so simple but the anger festered for a couple more days due to their work patterns. This made the fallout even worse.

/

Aside from passing in the corridors, they did not see each other for another two days. When they finally saw each other for more than a few seconds it was unbearably tense. They left the hospital at the same time and drove home in silence. As they walked in the front door she rounded on him and the yelling started.

"What the heck was that the other morning? I worked from home hoping to see you after you'd finished work and all I got was an earful!"

"Why would you bring confidential files home? It's bad enough that there is always paperwork everywhere but when I can't walk around my own home it's taking the piss" he yelled back.

"Your home" she shouted, "I thought this was our home. You get to come home in an awful mood and take it out on me. Who do you think you are?"

"Oh come on, this is our home, you know what I mean. Although maybe it would feel a bit more permanent if you'd actually give up the lease on your old apartment."

"I can't," she yelled. She tensed as though she was about to let loose a barrage but instead she sat down heavily and put her head in her hands.

"Why not?" He asked "What's the problem here?"

"Because I'm scared that this will all disappear. You'll realise you've made a mistake and I need a safety net when that happens. "

"Why would that happen? Where on earth has all this come from?"

She rubbed her face and sat back in defeat. "I overheard some of the nursing staff talking last week. About you."

"And how did that, turn into this?"

"They were chatting in the break room. About you and Jessica. And how you'd moved onto me and who they thought you'd move in here next. I got frustrated" she sighed. "I'm not as exciting as I used to be. This chief job isn't what I thought it would be and I'm still not sure I like it. Much more bureaucracy than surgery and I'm boring, I can feel it."

"That's ridiculous," he replied.

"It's it? Everyone knows your Mr. Nice Guy, your probably just too nice too finish this thing."

It was his turn to get angry now. "Thing" he yelled. "Maybe if you stopped calling it a 'thing' then that'd help. It's called a relationship, a partnership, a couple. We should be able to talk about this like adults instead of yelling so loud that the whole complex could hear."

He looked at her, tears brimming in her eyes and felt sad. Sad that their words had made her feel like this. He knelt in front of her and took her hands.

"How can you not realise I'm in this for the long run" he said softly. "I am loving life with you, you crazy woman. Life is certainly not boring with you in it. Yes, we are totally different, I agree, but don't you think that's what makes it work so well?"

She looked at him and said quietly "I'm so sorry I yelled."

"I'm sorry I yelled back. And I am so sorry you feel like this. What can we do to sort this out?"

"I don't know. I need to stop worrying what people think but it's easier said than done. It's never bothered me until I took this stupid job, I feel I'm under a microscope all the time. The board scrutinises my every move and I find myself being overcautious making sure I'm not favouring you. It's so complicated."

Neil got up to sit next to her, not letting go of her hand and they sat for a while in calm silence.

Eventually, Neil spoke. "What if I sell this place? We could buy something that's ours instead."

"I can't ask you to do that" she said.

"You're not asking, I'm offering" he replied. "Let's buy something that's ours and do this properly."

"But..."

"No buts, this is just bricks and mortar. You are way more important, I've just got to make sure you feel that way."

She turned to him, looked into his deep dark eyes and could tell he meant every word.

He continued speaking "We can get somewhere a bit bigger with more office space and do the whole thing together. Choose the furniture, the decor, everything. No reminders of anyone else, it'll be all about you and me."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you Audrey Lim. It's quite possible that you are the love of my life, it just took me a while to realise it."


	10. Chapter 10

A week went by and they spent any downtime they had looking at real estate listings. They weren't going to book any appointments until they got back from vacation but they were getting excited.

The vacation came first. He had booked a transfer to the resort from the airport and as they pulled up the drive, Audrey let out a low whistle. "I know I said just book something nice, but wow."

He looked over and smiled. They had held hands almost all the way there and he had enjoyed the sensation. Their argument last week had been difficult for them both. Sure, they had teased and bickered over silly things before but this had been a full on fight which had pretty much lasted a whole week.

They pulled up at the entrance and a concierge opened the car door for them to exit. Their bags were being unloaded so they headed to check in. The was a short wait in line but they just stood, hand in hand, looking around the lobby. It was bright and clean with a modern look. Neil was very happy with his choice so far.

They checked in and headed to their room, keen to see if it was a nice as everything they had seen so far. Audrey headed straight out on to the balcony and was very happy to see a private spa just for them. The room itself was not extravagant but very nicely decorated. It was bright and cool with subtle splashes of colour. Their bags arrived shortly after them and after tipping the porter, they were left alone.

Neil followed Audrey out on to the balcony and put his arms around her waist. "I'm glad we came" he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "This last week sucked. I'm sorry."

She turned to face him. "I'm sorry too. But let's call it a day on talking about it now. We've said what we needed to, apologised and I'm ready to move on. I'm particularly looking forward to moving on with you in that" she said pointing over his shoulder at the pristinely made bed. "Let's go mess up those perfect sheets!"

"No arguments here" he said, taking her hand and leading her back inside.

/

After thoroughly messing up the bedsheets, they freshened up and decided to explore the resort. Neil put on a pair of smart shorts and a collared t-shirt and waited by the door for Audrey. He gave a low whistle as she came out of the bathroom. She was actually wearing a dress, a strappy, above knee summer dress.

"This is new and unusual" he stated "I like it, you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Sir" she joked with little courtesy. "I've decided I'm going to be trying a few new thing this week" she said wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. His hands came to rest at the bottom of her back and slid down to give a little squeeze as he pulled her against him.

"We should go now, before we get distracted again" he said breathing heavily in her ear.

"Let's go handsome."

/

They walked leisurely around the resort, checking out the restaurant menus and stopping into a couple of bars for a drink. They took their time, they didn't need to rush. There were no meetings, no appointments and best of all, no cell phones. They would be staying in the room safe for the whole week, just checking once a day for anything important.

They settled on a quaint looking restaurant for dinner on the beachfront. They ordered a couple of cocktails and ate a beautiful dinner. Afterward, they kicked off their shoes and took short walk back along the sand to the main building to turn in for the night.

They waited for the elevator and pressed the button for their floor. As the doors closed, Neil looked over and shuffled closer to Audrey, getting a feeling of Deja vu as she said "don't be an ass." As he turned to kiss her, a hand stopped the doors from closing as another couple joined them. Neil rolled his eyes and whispered "third time's a charm" in her ear before putting his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, feeling so relaxed and happy she could have stayed there all night.

As they arrived back at their room, Neil suggested a nightcap on the balcony. As he poured them both a bourbon from the minibar, she went to change and came back in her pyjamas. He laughed when he saw her coming "I think you are terribly cute in whatever you wear, but I do hope that's not the end of the new stuff."

She gave a punch in the arm and a kiss on the cheek for that one. "Don't call me cute," she said.

/

Next morning, they decided they were going to check out the beach properly. They packed a small bag intending on staying a good while. They found that during the day the beach was full of luxurious beach beds with canopies to protect them from the full heat of the sun.

After people watching for a while, Neil headed off to the water to cool down. The sea was crystal clear and a bright beautiful blue. He lay back and floated, checking in on Audrey every now and again. She had her nose in a book and a drink in her hand. She looked happy and that made him happy.

Feeling cooler, Neil headed back up the sand, catching Audrey checking him out over the top of her glasses. "Putting on a bit of a show aren't we?" She teased.

"Only for you" he replied as he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned towards her.

"Careful, your dripping on my book" she exclaimed.

"I'll go drip somewhere else then shall I?" He laughed.

"Not a chance" she smiled back, throwing her book to one side. "You're all mine."

/

They stayed on the beach a while longer and had a light lunch delivered to their bed. After eating, he could see that she was getting restless. He knew when he booked this vacation it would have to be somewhere that ticked a lot of boxes. Relaxation, good food and daredevil activities.

That's why they found themselves heading to the activity centre after lunch settled, to see what trouble they could get into.

They decided on a quick snorkel in the first instance, something to break them in. By the time they'd left the centre that afternoon, they had booked a zip wire course and some scuba classes for the next couple of days.

/

They headed back to their room to change for dinner late in the afternoon. As they got in the elevator they found that they were alone, Neil shot Audrey a quick glance and saw she was looking right back at him. He didn't give a second thought this time and pulled her to him for a kiss just as an older couple entered and pressed the button for their floor. They jumped apart and mumbled an apology.

"Don't mind us, " they laughed. "We were young and in love once too!"

Audrey blushed and Neil looked down at something very interesting on his shoe smiling to himself.

The couple exited a floor before them and wished a them a goodnight on the way out. "We could be them in twenty years" Audrey said.

"Twenty years eh, think you'll cope with me for that long?"

"Long haul, buddy" she replied, "long haul."

/

In the room that evening, while Audrey was getting ready for bed, Neil checked his phone.

"Crap" she heard him say as she came out of the bathroom.

"Charming" she replied!

"Ha, that wasn't for you. It's my cousin. I RSVP'd to his wedding earlier this year and he's asking if I'm bringing a plus one." Neil took a deep breath and asked "do you want to come with me?"

"Will you're entire family be there?"

"Yes."

"Including your parents?"

"Yes, and Gabi."

She stood for a while thinking about it. That was a whole lot of people to meet in one go. "Let's do it." She said.


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of their vacation was spent in the same manner. Enjoying the resort and very much enjoying each other's company. Before they knew it, the time came to head back to reality. They transferred to the airport and waited in the lounge for their flight to be called.

"I could have stayed there forever, you know."

"I know " he replied. "It was just what we needed. Let's not leave it too long to do it again though hey."

"Absolutely not, once we've moved, I'll be looking for another trip. This time, I'm going to book it all and surprise you."

"That's exciting and terrifying all at the same time!"

The flight and the return journey was quite mundane and boring and they were back in San Jose in what felt like no time at all.

"Shall we swing by the hospital?" She asked as they were getting in the car.

"No way" he replied. "We should stretch this out as long as possible. We'll be back to reality tomorrow."

"Point taken, let's go stock up, go home and hide a little bit longer" she said.

/

They were thrown straight back in at the deep end the very next day. Audrey had a pile of paperwork to catch up on and Neil was familiarising himself with his patients for the week. They didn't see much of each other but the after effects of the vacation carried them through. They would pass in the corridors and let their fingers brush without any other interaction. They would steal a few kisses when there was nobody about and it felt exciting and new again and they were both on a high.

The was a buzz around the hospital for the upcoming Annual Gala which was to be held at the end of the week. The new intake of residents were excited but the old guard were less so at the thought of entertaining a bunch if stuffy old donors.

That Friday, Neil's surgery was planned to run late into the afternoon he took his dinner jacket with him when he left for work that morning. Audrey was due to finish at 14:00 after being there since 22:00 the night before. Her intention was to have a quick nap then get ready and head back to the hospital.

These Gala events were a chore for many of the staff members but were essential in raising funds for the hospital. The only sensible thing Dr Han ever said was that they needed to treat the rich people to help the poorer ones.

Neil was dressed and waiting at the bar already. He would need a little Dutch courage to get through tonight. Some of the ladies only came so they could dance with the handsome Dr Melendez. He checked his phone and dropped Audrey a text 'You here yet?'

No reply.

He called and a groggy sounding voice answered the phone. "Audrey, where are you?"

"Ah crap!" She exclaimed. "I fell asleep and didn't set an alarm. Shit, shit, shit! I'll be there as soon as I can" and she hung up.

He smiled into his bourbon thinking of her rushing around to get ready. She'd look great in a paper bag he thought as he settled in to wait.

/

The Gala was in full swing by the time she arrived and Neil was already frustrated at having to be so social. He had swayed his way through a few dances and was currently chatting with some wealthy patrons making small talk.

He saw her arrive from across the room and she took his breath away. If she was flustered, she didn't show it at all. She was poised and confident as she greeted people who were keen to shake the hand of the newest chief of surgery.

They worked the room like professionals, chatting away and taking the odd offer of a dance to sweeten a guest. Eventually they came together at a table with some of the most affluent investors present. Dr Andrews made introductions and the mingling continued. Despite trying their hardest to remain professional, they gravitated towards each other and eventually were stood right next to one another. He could feel Audreys fingers teasing his and he tried his best not to react but eventually gave in.

"Dr Lim, would you like to dance?" He asked.

"Sure" she replied with a smile and took his offered hand.

Once they were a safe distance away, he took her in his arms. They kept an appropriate distance and until his fingers started drawing small circles on the bare skin at the base of her spine, they looked like two colleagues dancing. She shivered at the small ministrations and even more so when he leaned closer and whispered "You have no idea what that dress is doing to me."

She looked him straight in the eye, his pupils dilated and she just smiled and moved closer.

"I have some idea" she whispered back.

/

After what felt like a blissful eternity, he felt a tap on his shoulder which snapped him out of his reverie. He looked to the side and saw Dr Andrews asking to cut in. He smiled, gave Audrey a chaste kiss on the cheek and gave his position gracefully.

He took a detour past the bar and settled on a stool at an empty table. He could see Audrey and Andrews chatting away and made a note to himself to check in on the gossip later.

"It's this seat taken" he heard.

Looking around he saw Mrs. Gunther, one of the hospitals most prolific benefactors.

"Not at all, please take a seat" he replied.

She hopped up onto the stool with an agility that did not match her age. "I've been waiting to chat to you all night" she said.

"Really, well you finally caught up with me" he laughed. "How are you Mrs. Gunther? How are your beautiful granddaughters?"

"Now now, look at you trying to butter me up doctor. I know full well your not interested in my granddaughters after watching you dance with Dr Lim" she chuckled.

Neil just nodded and smiled into his drink.

"Well" she said. "Let's get the full story then, I love a good romance!"

He laughed out loud at that one and proceeded to outline her on the last eight months.

"Well I'm happy for you Dr Melendez, despite the fact that it means you won't be marrying any of my granddaughters" she smiled.

/

Mrs. Gunther eventually took her leave ad the crowds started thinning out. Audrey appeared at his side out of nowhere "Let's go" she said. "I've done more than my share tonight, that's for sure."

Without a second thought, Neil rose from his seat took hand and led her out of the hospital. They took a cab back to the condo and didn't let their hands go the whole way.

As Audrey locked up and turned to speak to Neil, but she found herself pressed back against the door as his lips crashed into hers. All she could feel was his hands, everywhere. They kissed until they were breathless and as they broke apart she looked at him. His eyes were black and she thought 'maybe these Galas aren't so bad after all'.


	12. Chapter 12

They woke the morning after the Gala nursing headaches and aching muscles. Audrey volunteered to run to the kitchen to put the coffee on while Neil just lay across the bed, starfish style.

When she returned with a strong coffee for each of them, he moved to sit up with a groan and screwing his eyes shut.

"Feeling a little fragile are we, love?" She asked sitting next to him.

"Hhhmmpphhh" was the reply.

"That's what happens when we finish a bottle after we get home" she smiled.

"Yeah, but you helped. Why aren't you a mess?"

"Skill" she quipped, "come on, drink this" and she passed him a mug.

/

The only plans they had for the day was to laze around and do nothing. They figured that they didn't have to constantly be doing things to spend time together. While on vacation, they had come to appreciate that being together, doing nothing, was fine too.

"So what was Andrews bending your ear about last night?" Neil asked.

"You wanna talk about Andrews while we are lying in bed!" She teased.

"I didn't even think of it like that, don't be weird."

"Looks like you can't take a joke with a hangover Melendez!"

"My head hurts enough already, thanks."

They lay for a while longer until Audrey piped up. "He was telling me how good I was at my job" she said casually.

"Really! I mean, I know you are, but for him to actually tell you is new."

"I know, I was as shocked as you. He said he was happy he'd made the right choice this time. How I seemed to be handling everything just fine."

"That's a lot coming from him. No wonder you were blushing" he joked.

"I was not" she replied with indignation.

"Ah it's ok, I think you're beautiful when you blush" he said reaching over to kiss her. "Just like you are now."

/

Lunch was a picnic in bed of grilled cheese sandwiches. They were still feeling a little fragile and thought comfort food would help them recover.

Neil was lying with his head in Audrey's lap watching some rubbish on television while she had her nose in a book. She was absent mildly running her fingers through his hair in between turning the pages when suddenly, she snapped her book shut and startled him.

"We need to talk about this wedding " she stated.

"Ok, sure. Why now?"

"I need to prepare, get myself psyched up."

"Psyched up? It's not a test" which earned him a mock glare "Ok, what do you wanna know?"

"Where, who, how many... what should I wear?"

"That's pretty much everything" he laughed. "Ok, you ready?"

He started on the details. One of his younger cousins was getting married to a girl from high school. They would drive to San Francisco on the Friday and attend the rehearsal dinner at the hotel that night. Over to his parents Saturday morning, church wedding about 4pm, then onto the cocktail hour and dinner back at the same hotel. Sunday would be saying goodbyes and travelling home. He had booked them a room at the hotel for the whole weekend.

"Don't your parents have space to stay?" Audrey asked.

"We wouldn't be allowed," he mumbled. "We aren't married so couldn't stay in the same room."

"Really! They know we live together right? Is this going to be a problem?"

"Of course they know we live together. They know I'm a grown man but they are very traditional and don't want it under their roof. Sorry, it sounds ridiculous" he said rubbing his hand over his face.

"Next thing, your going to say they have a problem with my divorce" she teased.

He looked up with wide eyes. "Crap, that didn't even cross my mind."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm so sorry, it honestly didn't register with me."

"Will this could be interesting. Are you going to tell them before we go?"

"Why don't we let them fall in love with you before we bring that up. They'll love you because I love you, don't worry."

"Your awfully confident."

"Your easy to love Audrey Lim" he said kissing her.

/

Dinner that night was a pizza delivery. They were thoroughly enjoying this lazy time together just chatting, dozing and touching. After dinner was done, they moved onto real estate thinking they should get things moving. They looked up an agent that someone at the hospital had recommended to Neil and dropped her a message to make an appointment that week. After browsing online listings, they decided they would look at Blossom Valley and the surrounding areas. There seemed to be plenty of choice and there should be something that fitted both their tastes. They were looking forward to this next step in their relationship together.

The evening passed by and the realisation that they were both back in work at some point tomorrow hit.

"We've wasted a whole day" Audrey complained.

"I don't think so" he replied. "I've totally enjoyed spending all this time with just you. We've put the world to rights without making any huge effort. Eaten awful but great food and had some great sex. I'm not sure what the problem is here!"

She chuckled. "All fair points" she nodded.

She got up off the bed and walked towards the bathroom. Looking over her shoulder at him, she said "Fancy wasting some more time with me in the shower?"

He didn't need to be asked twice, he was up off that bed and following her with a big grin.


	13. Chapter 13

The weekend of the wedding came around quickly and the closer it got, the more nervous Audrey was. She had been frustrated in work with a personnel issue which seemed to amplify all her feelings tenfold.

The 'issue' was that one of this year's residents had gone above her head to make a complaint about her treatment of another colleague. It wasn't a major issue but she saw it as a betrayal, feeling that her residents couldn't trust her. She had always been friendly and approachable, so she thought, but this individual had an issue with how nice she was being. They felt it wasn't good for them to be 'coddled' in such a professional and competitive environment and this blew Audreys mind.

On leaving work that night, ready for the long weekend, Audrey was ready to explode. The tension that had been building the whole week before was bubbling just underneath the surface. She burst in the door of the condo almost taking it off its hinges.

"Woah" exclaimed Neil. "Calm down with the door, we'll never sell this place with holes in the walls."

"Ha, funny" she replied snarkily. "I feel I could kill someone so don't tempt me."

"Okay, okay, sorry. What's up?"

"It's a work thing, I can't tell you right now" she signed.

"Ok, this doesn't need to be as problem. Let's find something to get rid of this frustration."

"Really, I'm in the worst mood every and that's all you can think of. Grow up" she snapped.

"Calm down, that's not what I meant. Grab your jacket and let's go" he said sternly.

/

A short drive later they pulled into the parking lot of San Jose Batting Cages. She just looked over at him with an incredulous look on her face.

"Really?"

"Yes really, let's go!"

He marched her inside and told her to wait while he went to pay. He came back, took her hand and almost dragged her off to a cage. He gave her a gentle push inside, closed the gate, nodded and said "whenever you're ready."

She turned, took a stance and put the bat on her shoulder. The first ball was a swing and a miss and she turned to glare at him.

"Imagine it's the face of the person pissing you off" he said.

She turned back and swung again. This time she clipped it but it wasn't full contact. She swung again, and again, and again and then she smacked one square on. It made a satisfying clink and she turned to him again. This time with a big grin across her face.

She carried on for another 15 minutes, hitting some and missing some. She came out of the cage with a little spring in her step, she walked right up to him and planted a kiss right there.

"Better?" He asked.

"Oh yes, I kept imagining that annoying little face and just kept swinging" she said with a smile.

"Excellent, that was the plan" he smiles back. "Besides, we couldn't take our trip this weekend otherwise. Can you imagine meeting my parents like that!"

"Thank you" she replied.

"Trust me, it was my pleasure" he winked.

/

They left after lunch the next day to drive to the hotel. They pulled into the parking lot and took a moment to appreciate the location before getting their bags from the trunk.

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"You'll be fine, trust me. They'll love you just as much as I do" he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her soundly. "Come on."

The lobby was busy so they joined the small line to check in. Audrey stood so close that you couldn't see light between them, his hand was placed casually on her hip.

"Would you relax?" He said, giving her hip a squeeze. "I swear you could power a small town the energy you're giving off" he teased.

"I'll be fine" she replied. "I wish this line would hurry up though."

The check in was smooth and they were making their was to the elevator when they heard "Neil, Neil, is that you?!"

He stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned. He was engulfed by a small woman with black hair.

"Hi Auntie, how are you?" He asked from his strangle hold.

"Oh you know, muddling on" she replied. She released him from the hug but kept a firm grip on his hands.

"Well, we've only just arrived so we're just heading to find our room" he said trying make a subtle exit.

"We? Oh look, this must be Audrey. We heard Neil was bringing a lady friend. Nice to meet you" she said as she enveloped her in big hug.

"Nice to meet you too" Audrey replied from the vice like grip.

"I'll look forward to meeting you properly tonight" Auntie said, letting go.

"Thanks" she replied. "You too!"

Neil took the pause to take her hand and make their excuses to find their room. They held their breath until the elevator doors were safely closed then collapsed back against the wall with relief.

"You handled that pretty well" he laughed.

"I'll be ready next time" she replied.

"You think so?" He said earning himself a soft punch.

They walked quickly along the corridor to find their room as Neil fumbled with the key card. Audrey whispered "move it, I hear voices."

They fell in the door and it clicked shut behind them. As she turned to look at him, she saw a serious look on his face. He had hung up the suit carrier and was walking towards her, staring her down.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing" he replied as he kissed her and pushed her backwards towards the bed.

"Really, now?"

"All the time Aud, but yes now" he said raining kisses down her neck. "Besides once word gets our we're here, we won't get a minutes peace. I give it 30 minutes until my cell starts ringing."

"30 minutes, that's nothing to boast about" she teased.

He gave her a gentle shove and she fell backward. "I can get a lot done in 30 minutes, thank you very much. "

"Best get to work then Melendez" she replied, pulling him towards her.


	14. Chapter 14

They lay there, tangled in the sheets enjoying the moment and then it happened, the phone began to ring. Audrey lifted her head.

"36 minutes" she said. "You weren't far wrong."

He groaned and reached out over her to answer the call. She took the opportunity to place a kiss on his neck and he gave a soft smile. He sat up against the headboard, tucked the sheets around his waist and answered the phone.

"Hey Mom" he said. "You ok?"

She could hear a muffled voice on the other end of the line and saw Neil roll his eyes.

"No Mom, I didn't introduce Auntie first. She just happened to be in the lobby as we were checking in."

The response came and he closed his eyes rubbing his temples. "No Mom, we're didn't arrange anything. Total coincidence, I promise."

Audrey caught his eye to ask if he wanted a coffee, he gave her an exaggerated nod. She chuckled to herself, set the coffee machine to go and headed into the bathroom.

A short while later she heard the bathroom door open and felt a draught as the door to the shower followed. She felt him step up behind her and turned to face him.

"How did that go?"

"She's fine. She thought there was a total conspiracy with Auntie to introduce you first but I think I talked her down."

"That's ok then, I want to stay in her good books while I'm dating her little boy" she teased.

"Please let's stop taking about my mum while we're in the shower." Her said as he started an assault on her neck.

They leisurely washed and dried and started getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. Audrey was applying some make up at the dressing table and Neil was sat back on the bed enjoying the view of her sat in her underwear. There was an unexpected knock at the door and Neil put his finger to his lips. He crept towards the door in his just his boxers and took a look through the spy hole. He dropped his shoulders, shook his head and opened the door just a crack.

"Hey" she heard him say. "Not the best time, we're just getting ready."

There was murmuring from the hall and then a stern "no you can't come in, she's in the shower and I'm in my underwear."

More words, then "I don't care that you've seen it all before! We'll see you at dinner!"

He shut the door and leaned against it shaking his head in disbelief.

"If I find the porter who gave out our room number, I'm getting them fired" he said.

/

It was time to go, they were as ready as they would ever be. Neil was dressed in a dark grey suit with a burgundy shirt while Audrey matched in a burgundy crochet style knee length dress. They complimented each other perfectly. They walked down to the dinner via the stairwell to avoid other family members for as long as possible, he didn't think his Mom would forgive him if anyone else met Audrey first.

He stopped just before entering the lobby and took her in his arms. "I love you" he said looking her straight in the eye. "No matter what all these crazy people get up to tonight, I love you."

"I know, I love you too" she replied.

They took a deep breath and headed out into the chaos. As they entered the room to find their seats they heard "Neil, Neil, over here." They saw his Mom waving from a table nearby.

"Here goes nothing" she muttered under her breath. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and led her over.

After making the initial introductions, Neil's Mom insisted that Audrey sit next to her and shooed Neil off to the bar. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered "you'll be fine" as he went to get the drinks.

As he got to the bar, he met with his father, uncles and a couple of cousins. Bracing for a good natured ribbing he joined the group.

"Hey loser" one if his cousins started. "Looks like your punching above your weight again with the ladies" he said putting a friendly arm around his shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah" he replied. "Just so happens I agree with you though!"

"Ahhhh whipped already" they joked.

"Fine by me" he countered.

They all paused, looked and totally changed the subject. They were used to him biting at their remarks but this time he was being so blasé about it, it was no fun.

He headed back to the table with his dad in tow and a tray of drinks. He sat beside her, putting his arm along the back of her seat and absentmindedly started playing with some of the hair that was loose around her shoulders. His father caught his eye and leaned closer.

"She's beautiful, son."

"I know, dad."

"You really are punching!" He said with a wink.

"Shut up!" he laughed.

/

Dinner passed, incident free and they had a small break before the toasts. Neil grabbed her hand and headed out to the balcony to give her a break.

"How's it going?"

"Good, I think she likes me so far."

"Course she does, who wouldn't" he smiled.

"Kiss ass" she joked with a big smile.

They headed back inside when they heard the clink of glasses and took their seats in time for the toasts. There was a lot of good natured teasing going on throughout as well as more serious moments missing absent family and friends. They had time to mingle a little more afterwards until guests started leaving to prepare for the early start the next day.

Saying their goodbyes, they headed back to their room. They had promised to be at his parents before lunch tomorrow so would see plenty more of them then. They stood waiting for the elevator in a comfortable silence. As the doors closed, they simultaneously let out a deep sigh, then a big laugh.

"Made it through round one unscathed" he said.

"Just about" she replied. "Round two tomorrow."

"You'll cruise through it. Besides, Gabi is arriving tomorrow and you get to meet my Abuela. Hours of fun!"

"Can't wait, as long as your about, I'll be fine."

"I'm not going anywhere, don't worry about that" he said taking her hand and leading her to their room. 


	15. Chapter 15

Just a quick line to thank people for their kind reviews. It is exciting to get the notifications!

Sorry it's a bit of an epic, I couldn't figure out where to split it.

/

Their Saturday morning was relaxed and they ordered breakfast as room service. They eventually dressed and headed out to his parents home. They pulled up on the driveway about fifteen minutes later and walked towards the front door. Before their feet hit the bottom step, the door flew open and there she was...Neil's Abuela.

For the millionth time so far this weekend, he was wrapped in the arms of a relative. It was sweet and but it made Audrey realise how much smaller her family was. She war wrapped up in a great hug again. 'I could actually get used to this' she thought to herself.

"Lita, meet Audrey" she heard.

"Look at you, you're beautiful Audrey, he's a lucky man" she said as she took her arm and guided her inside.

"Yes he is" she agreed looking back over her shoulder at Neil. He shook his head and followed them inside.

Inside they joined his parents and sister in the kitchen. Audrey was already sat chatting with Gabi, both of them smiling widely. The conversations flowed easily until lunch when they all sat down to eat. Neil's grandmother had not been at the rehearsal yesterday so was catching up on some of the details of the relationship. "How did you two meet?" she asked.

"We work together" Audrey answered. "We have done for a long time, we did our residency together."

"You work at the hospital too?"

"Yes," Audrey replied. "I'm Chief of Surgery."

His Mom and Dad exchanged a look and Abuela asked what they were all thinking. "You're his boss?" with surprise in her voice.

"Yes Lita, the hospital is fine with it" Neil replied. "We were dating before the she was offered the job."

"You'll miss that when you finish to have children" she continued. "You'll have to give it up, won't you?"

A look of shock crossed Audreys face as it started to dawn on her just how traditional Neils family were. She was too stunned to answer straight away and looked to Neil for reassurance. He stepped up, replying "No way, she's worked to hard to get where she is. That's what day-care is for."

His Mom rose from her seat and headed into the kitchen, not saying a word. Neil went to follow but his dad motioned for him to sit. "I'll go" he said.

It seemed that the people left around the table had lost their appetite when the conversation came to an end so they started gathering the crockery ready to take to the kitchen. After a while, his Mom and Dad returned to help clear the table.

"I'm sorry," his Mom said. "Ben has just pointed out that we are in the 21st century and things are a little different from when we were young. I'm sorry Audrey, that was rude of me."

"That's ok" Audrey replied.

Neil was not so quick to accept the apology. "Sorry Mom, it isn't ok. In the interest of full disclosure, let's get some facts on the table." he started. Audrey looked at him with panic in her eyes but he took her hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. "Audrey is divorced. I'm selling my condo and we're buying a place together. Let's just get everything out in the open now and sort it out."

There was a bustle of movement and his mother sat heavily in her seat. Audrey looked over at Neil and gestured 'why' and then he continued to speak.

"I'm 37 years old and I've worked hard all my life to get where I am. I've sacrificed a lot especially when it comes to relationships. It's not been easy and you guys have been there every step of the way. But, you know who else has been there? Audrey. She's pushed me to be the best I can be since we started our residency together and I couldn't be more grateful. She's brilliant at what she does, she's saved hundreds of lives. Yes, she's stubborn and strong willed but I love that about her, just as I adore those things about you Mom."

His Mom opened her mouth to speak but he held up his hand to stop her. He was on a roll.

"Maybe we'll get married, maybe we won't. Maybe we'll have kids, maybe not. But one thing I know for sure if that I'll be spending the rest of my life with Audrey so get used to it please."

He looked at Audrey, her eyes had filled with tears at his words. His Mom sat looking at her hands and his Lita sat with a soft smile in her face.

"I think we'd better go. We'll see you at the ceremony." Neil continued. He took Audrey by the hand and led her to the door. He quickly went back to the table, kissed his Mom and Lita and then they left.

/

They drove back to the hotel and got back to their room in virtual silence. Audrey opened the door and Neil walked past, falling face first onto the bed with a groan.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

He turned onto his side to look at her and have a soft smile. "I'll be fine" he assured her. "I'm not sure I've ever spoken to my Mom like that before."

"I don't know what to say? Sorry I suppose, for causing this drama."

"No way, don't be sorry for being who you are. They have a more traditional lifestyle and I'm doing things differently. I've pretty much followed their guidance my whole life, they are a great example of family. They'll come around I'm sure. Although, when we do get married, it'll be in a church, I'm not risking that debate!"

"When?" She asked.

"Yeah, when" he replied simply taking her in his arms.

"As much as In enjoying this, we should get ready for the service" Audrey suggested.

"Can't we just stay here?"

"If you really want to piss off your Mom, sure. Otherwise, move it Melendez!"

They showered and dressed ready to go. Neil looked very handsome in his tuxedo and Audrey wore a beautifully detailed blue dress. They really did look great together and turned a few heads as they passed through the lobby on the way out.

Arriving at the church, they parked up and Neil turned to her. "I'm sorry" he said. "I'm sorry I put you in this position. But in my defence, I warned you that my family was crazy."

She smiled away him. "We'll be fine, don't worry. And I'm sure your parents will come around, they'll see how strong their son is and it'll all be fine." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself, just as much as she was convincing him.

Her leaned over, kissed her and said "Let's do this. Can't put it off forever. "

They sat on the groom's side of the aisle, Gabi and her attendant joined them but his parents walked past and sat a few rows in front. Audrey squeezed his hand to try to reassure him, he gave a weak smile in return that didn't quite reach his eyes.

After the 30 minute ceremony, they gathered briefly outside for photographs before heading back to the hotel again. They arrived for cocktail hour and spent the time catching up with more distant family members. Just before they were due to sit down for dinner, Neil's Mom approached. "Audrey, could I speak to you in private please?"

'Mom" Neil warned.

"I'll be fine" Audrey assured him. "I'll come find you in a bit.

She followed Sofia to a quiet corner where she gestured that they should sit.

"I wanted to show you something this morning" she stated. "But with everything, well you know."  
She dug around in her bag and produced a handful of photographs. "I wanted to bring the whole album but Ben said no" she smiled. She held them out to Audrey who gave a big smile when she realised what she was looking at. Baby pictures of Neil Melendez, quite possibly the cutest pictures she had ever seen.

"These are amazing Sofia, thank you." She flicked through them slowly and said "he was so cute."

"Such a beautiful baby. And he's grown into a beautiful man" she smiled.

"He has" Audrey agreed. "That's down to you, you know. You and Ben. I was so nervous to come here this weekend but he's been so excited to introduce you. He thinks the world of you, he would never hurt you on purpose Sofia. I guess you can't help who you fall in love with. "

"I know" she replied. "I'm sorry, it was just a bit of a shock. He's never spoken to us like that before you know" she paused but held up her hand to show she wasn't finished. "He was so passionate about you, it was beautiful to see."

She took Audrey's hands in hers and said with a smile "Do you think we could be friends? I don't want to lose my son."

"I'm not going anywhere Sofia, I intend on being around for a long time and I'd love it if we can be friends. I can't promise you a big white wedding but when we are ready, it will be something that makes you proud."

"Don't leave it too long, I want beautiful grandbabies to spoil before I'm too old!" his Mom exclaimed with a smile lighting up her face.

Audrey laughed, "One thing at a time Sofia! We'd best get back before they send a search party for us."

/

They returned to the party together and took their seats at the table. Neil leaned in and whispered "All ok?" She nodded her response and kissed him on the cheek.

Dinner passed without incident and they retired to the bar area to allow the room to be reset. They took this chance to steal some time alone. Neil was desperate to find out what his Mom had said so they found a quiet corner to chat.

"She apologised?!" He repeated. "She must really like you, I don't think I've ever heard her apologise in 37 years" he teased.

"She was quite keen on the grandchild topic though. I felt bad."

"Why?"

"Because we've been careless for months now and nothing's happened. I'm not too worried but I'm worried she'll be upset if nothing comes of it."

"Don't think like that. Like we said, maybe it will, maybe it won't. One thing is for sure is that we'll have fun giving it a go" he commented as he moved closer. He pushed her until her back was against the wall and stepped right into her personal space. His hands ran up her sides, giving her goosebumps and he kissed her, hard, until they were both breathless. "Lots of fun trying" he said as they came up for air.

/

They spent the rest of their evening laughing and dancing. As the crowds thinned and guests began to depart, they found themselves on the dancefloor wrapped in each other's arms. They danced so closely that you couldn't see light between them.

Neil's Mom and Abuela watched from a nearby table. "Look how happy he is Sofia"

"I know Mama, I know. She does seem wonderful, and he is so happy. I've never seen him smile so much. He was always so serious!"

"This is a good thing" Lita said

They continued to watch and chat for a while longer until it was time to leave.

Neil and Audrey walked them out of the lobby to their cars.

"We'll see you soon yes" asked Gabi.

"Absolutely Amorcita, we'll be over next week sometime. And you guys, once we move and have more space you can come stay maybe?"

"Maybe we will" said his Mom drawing him in for a hug. "Love you, son."

"Love you too, Mom."

His father followed him back to the door and drew him into a hug. "If she is the one, you should put a ring on her finger son, before she realises that she could do better" he whispered.

"I will, don't worry but only when we are ready." He looked over his shoulder to check Audrey was out of earshot. "Do you think you can get Mom to lay off the grandchild topic for a bit please."

"Why? Don't you want children? Can't she have children?" He asked.

He sighed, he wasn't going to get away with that request without a bit more detail. "We don't know, we've been..." he paused trying to find the right words "irresponsible for a few months and nothing's happened. It might not happen, we don't know."

"I'll have a word, son. She'll probably be more distracted by the fact that that you could have a baby before you're married to ask too many questions!" He joked.

"Thanks Dad, I think." Neil replied with a smile. 


	16. Chapter 16

After they got back to San Jose on the Sunday, they took the rest of the day to catch up on chores and grocery shopping. To someone on the outside, it would look like a couple going about their boring weekend but to Neil and Audrey, it was respite after a stressful weekend.

They would have a busy few weeks coming up looking at real estate. Audrey had let her lease expire and they would have no problem selling the condo, it was just finding time to fit it all in.

Their shifts at work were not very compatible this week so finding time to meet the agent was difficult. In the end, they agreed that they would meet in work on a break. They would have the privacy of an office at least.

The first appointment they could get was Wednesday and they were looking forward. They had browsed online, of course, but they were looking forward to seeing what the agent had to offer.

When the agent arrived, she looked harassed and carried a large briefcase of paperwork.

"Everything ok?" Neil asked as they all took a seat around the coffee table in his office.

"Sure, sure" she replied. "You two have been quite tricky to find listings for but I'm sure I've got some here that you'll like."

"I thought we'd be easy since we've got nothing in particular in mind" Audrey said.

"Quite the opposite!" The agent replied with a laugh. "Unless you have some requirements, you'll be looking away everything on the market."

"Ok, well I need a garage for my bike."

"And an office" Neil added.

"And a nice yard,."

"But low maintenance."

"And three bedrooms."

"And quiet."

The agent looked much happier at that and pulled out several listings from her pile. "Now that's information I can work with" she exclaimed. "I'll book you appointments at these next over the next week and I'm having an open house at this lovely place on Saturday. You should come along" she said handing them a brochure.

The property really was beautiful. It was a light grey colour, detached building set back away from the street. The entrance hall opened into a double height living space which looked bright and airy. They looked at each other and said simultaneously "this is nice!"

"Come along and see if you're both free. I promise it's even better in real life."

"Sure, we're both here at some point Saturday but we'll make it work."

"Now let's talk about your place. You sure you want to leave all the furniture and fixtures?"

"Absolutely" Neil replied. We'll pack up the personal stuff but the rest can stay. Wherever we end up, it's a fresh start."

They checked schedules and set a date for their own open house. They would both be at the hospital so would leave everything to their agent. She packed up her paperwork and tablet and stood to leave.

"Thanks for seeing us today" Audrey said, shaking her hand.

"My pleasure" she replied.

X

It took a while for Saturday to arrive. They were both so busy that they hadn't managed to view any if the listings the agent left. They had a two hour gap on the day where they could both leave the hospital. Neil was on his way into work, and Audrey on her way out. He passed by her office to collect her and arrived just as she was packing up her things. They were always professional in work but always greeted each other with a kiss when they swapped shifts. Sometimes they could go a few days without seeing each other properly so those stolen kisses got them through.

They headed out of the hospital and once they crossed the threshold, Audrey took his hand. He looked and smiled, this was exciting.

They arrived at the property a little after three and were greeted enthusiastically by their agent.

"I'm so glad you could make it. I was getting worried and it's been so busy" she said shaking Audrey's hand. "Would you like me to show you around?"

"No thanks" Neil said. "I think we'd like to check it out by ourselves first. We'll come find you if we have any questions."

"No problem" she replied. "Enjoy!"

The main living space was more spectacular than the brochure had suggested. It was bright and spacious and the way it was furnished made it feel like a safe haven. They checked out the remainder of the ground floor and found the usual amenities. Kitchen, utility, family room, powder room and nice size room they could use as an office. Upstairs, the master suite was beautiful. The whole place had a feeling of calm and tranquillity which they would both relish after their busy days at the hospital. There were a further two bedrooms and associated bathrooms which would be perfect for guests. The final room upstairs was a smaller room alongside the master suite. It currently contained a toddler bed and baskets of toys from the current occupants grandchildren. They stood in the doorway and looked in. Neil put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned in to him.

"It'd be nice if we managed to fill this room wouldn't it?" She said quietly. He drew her into a bear hug and kissed her temple. He didn't know what to say.

They stepped away and stood by the interior balcony looking down onto the living area.

"It's this too much? Just for us? Two people with all this space, it seems a waste?"

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Yes, it's beautiful" she replied.

"You think we could be happy here?"

"Yes."

"Then let's do it. We spend most of our waking hours doing things for other people and I know we chose that path but it doesn't mean we shouldn't do something for ourselves. Let's go for it."

They went back downstairs and found the agent setting out another round of coffee and muffins at the breakfast bar. She looked up as they entered hand in hand.

"What did you think?"

"We'd like to make an offer" Audrey said.

"That's wonderful" the agent replied. "Let's get some paperwork sorted."

X

As expected, the condo sold quickly and six weeks later, on a sunny Thursday morning, they picked up the keys to their new home. They headed there first thing, Neil started work at 10am but they couldn't resist a first visit together.

Heading up the path to the front door, Audrey dropped his hand to unlock the front door. He stood close behind her as she fumbled with the keys and eventually there it was. A click, a squeak of a door hinge and a small squeal as Neil swept her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold. 


	17. Chapter 17

Her first day in their new home was busy. There were boxes everywhere and she was standing by on a call from the delivery company. The place had no furniture to speak of and they hadn't had time to shop for much. They had a bed and a sofa set arriving today but decided other things could wait. There was a lot of space to fil but this was their home and they'd take their time to get it right.

She busied herself putting away crockery and pans in the cupboards, all the while thinking of what they we're going to eat tonight. Were there any good takeout's that delivered, she didn't want to give him food poisoning on their first night. She sent a quick text 'bring dinner please', and carried on. She headed upstairs to carry on. Clothes were hung up and toiletries put into bathrooms and the pile of empty boxes was growing by the minute.

The furniture delivery came and went so she got on and dressed their bed. Standing back to admire her handiwork, she grinned and took a run towards it, landing like a starfish right in the middle. Rolling over she just lay there for a while thinking how lucky she was.

An idea came into her head like a lightening bolt. Neil was always the romantic one, that sort of thing didn't come naturally to her so she was going to try and turn the tables. A romantic dinner for two on the first night in their new home. She was going to need to get some bits so she quickly got up, grabbed her keys and set out to find the nearest store.

X

Grabbing a cart she dashed around picking up what she needed. She was not a good shopper at the best of times and especially so when she hadn't planned it. She crossed back and forth across the store a number of times and finally decided she had what she needed, checked out and headed home.

She went about setting up her plan for tonight which took up a good amount of the rest of the day. Finally happy with her set up, she headed off to shower and get dressed in something a bit more tidy.

He arrived home around seven with his case in one hand and a takeout bag in the other. He elbowed his way in the front door dropping his bag and jacket on the floor and made a mental note 'we need a coat stand'.

"Aud!" He called. "Why are the lights off? Do we need to call someone?"

He was met with silence.

"Aud, you ok?" He called as he walked through into the living space and stopped dead in his tracks. The new sofa had arrived which looked great but that wasn't what had his attention. She stood there, bathed in the light from the all the little candles she had placed around the room. As he moved closer, he could see throws and cushions on the floor and crockery arranged as a setting for two.

"You've been busy" he said with a smile.

She looked at him, a little shy "I thought I could do something for you for a change" suddenly taking an interest in the bottom of her glass.

He placed the dinner down on the floor and took a few steps until he was right in front of her. "It looks amazing. You're amazing."

"Don't get used to it" she teased. "I just didn't think that dinner at the breakfast bar was quite special enough for tonight."

Neil put his hand to her forehead and frowned. "You don't feel warm, I don't think you have a fever" he teased.

She put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him long and slow. When they finally broke apart she just said "Asshat."

"Yes, but I'm your asshat. Now let's eat before it gets cold" he replied.

They settled themselves down, dished out the dinner and ate in a relaxed silence. The quiet broken once they'd finished eating and They took their plates to the kitchen. Audrey made to start washing up but he quickly put a stop to that.

"Do them tomorrow" he said taking her hand and dragging her behind him. He took his phone from his pocket, set some music to play and pulled her to him. They danced through a few songs slowing down further to get lost in kisses.

The last song faded out.

"Sit down" she said. Pushing him back until his knees hit the sofa. He sat heavily, pulling her with him in his arms. They just sat for a moment enjoying the embrace until Audrey tensed and made to sit up.

Neil tightened his grip around her "Where you going?" He asked.

"Nowhere, but I want to talk to you about something" she said seriously.

He looked at her face and sat up to pay attention.

She took a deep breath and began to speak. "The last year has been amazing with you..." she looked down at her hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked, she didn't look or sound happy at all.

She took a deep breath. "So, I know I've been hard work but you've always had so much faith in me. You've supported me, argued with me and loved me so much. I've gone through life not really caring what people think but that has changed. I care about what you think. You've changed me but only for the better in everything I do."

"Audrey?" He said, trying to catch her eye.

She lifted her head and look him straight in the eye. "I've never been so sure about anything in my life than I am about us. Neil Melendez, will you marry me?"

He looked at her with a stunned look on his face. He had not seen this coming. She wasn't the best at getting her feelings across so that small speech meant so much.

"Did you hear me Neil?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you heard me?"

"No, I mean yes. Yes I heard you. And yes I will marry you." He pulled her to him and wrapped her in a hug so tight that they became one.

"I've got something for you" he said, "wait here a minute"

She watched him go into the hall, heard a rustle and a thud and he was back. "Close your eyes" he said.

She did as he asked until she heard "Ok, open them."

She looked at him, then she looked down to what was in his hand. Her hands flew to her mouth as she registered the small box with a beautiful ring inside.

"Great minds think alike" she said with a smile.


	18. Chapter 18

They woke the next morning after their first night in their new bed, stretching and screwing their eyes closed against the morning light streaming in through the window. "We need to get drapes" grumbled Neil. Audrey smiled as he tucked his face into the crook of her neck.

"When is our next day off" she asked.

"Sunday and Monday this week coming, I think" replied Neil.

"Ok, we'll start then. Shop Sunday and recover Monday?"

"Sounds great" he said but she could tell he didn't mean it.

"We could get someone in to do it for us" she suggested. "Maybe we've bitten off more than we can chew with this 'do it all ourselves' idea. It could take ages and the are definitely other things I'd rather do with you than shop."

"Let's try, how hard can it be" Neil said with a smile "If it doesn't work out, we'll get help."

Audrey headed out to work about an hour later with her ring placed safely on a chain around her neck. Kissing her goodbye at the front door, he ran his fingers along the chain, and pulled the new piece of jewellery out of her collar.

"All ok? We aren't hiding this are we?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"No, I just didn't want to leave it behind but there are other people we need to tell first before people at the hospital."

"Ah, ok, point taken. I'm going to have to call my Mom later, she'll have felt a disturbance in The Force, she'll know something's happened" he teased.

Audrey looked at him and smiled "I'm so proud, a Star Wars reference. Looks like you might be a geek after all" she teased.

"Only to impress you" came the reply.

"Well it worked" she said kissing him. "See you later.

X

Just before lunch, Neil called his Mom to tell her the news. She answered on the second ring with "I hope you said yes!"

"Hi Mom, I take it you knew?"

"Oh yes, it was very exciting! Audrey called yesterday morning to check in and mentioned what she was hoping to do. Your Lita and I have been dying to call!"

"Ah so you've all been in cahoots, I'm getting a terrifying glimpse into my future here" he teased.

"Oh no son, we are just so happy for you. We won't be sticking our noses in. Well, not too much anyway! How's the new house?"

"It's great, definitely started out with a bang. We've got a lot to do though, not much furniture in yet."

"Well get a move in with that. We'll come and have a double celebration with you guys. Housewarming and engagement in one go!"

"Sounds like a good idea, Mom." The chatter continued for a little while and they said their goodbyes fondly with promises that they would see each other soon.

He grabbed a quick lunch and got to unpacking his share of the moving boxes. There was a lot that needed moving but he couldn't put things away as they didn't have the storage. 'This is going to get boring fast' he thought to himself.

He headed to the family room and decided he would set up the TV and sound system instead. Make himself useful in someway. As expected though, it didn't take long and he was back looking for things to do.

His cell rang from the kitchen so he jogged to catch the call before they rung off. It was Audrey. "Hey, all ok" she asked.

"Yeah, not to bad. We definitely need some furniture though. I can't unpack much today. You did all the easy stuff yesterday" he teased.

"That was not easy" she retorted. "That was the most terrifying thing I've ever done."

"Did you think I'd say no?"

"No, of course not, you've got it good, you know that" she joked. "It's just that you are the normal one in the relationship, I wasn't even sure I'd get the words out right."

"It made every word mean that much more. Your more about the actions, not the words, and trust me... that's more than fine. But to hear you say that stuff, that was something else."

"How was your Mom?"

"Well she didn't seem surprised at the news. Buy all accounts there was a little scheming going on."

"Well I wanted to check I wasn't committing some major social faux pas doing it this way. She was so excited, I'm surprised she didn't call last night!"

"It's likely that Dad confiscated her phone!"

She laughed at that. "I'm going to have to dash sorry, got stuff to do and going to meet Laura and Avery for a coffee later. She's coming in for a check up so thought it'd be a good chance to catch up."

"No problem, speak to you later on" he replied.

Her voice quietened and she almost whispered "I'm missing you today."

"The floodgates have opened" he teased. "Looks like those emotions are here to stay!"

"Shut up, asshat" was the response.

"Love you too" he laughed.

X

As they took turns being at home over the next couple of days, the next day they woke up together was the Sunday. There were no alarms set so they woke up naturally. Audrey rolled into his embrace and traced the antlers of his tattoo with her index finger. He got goosebumps at the sensation and allowed his hands to start to roam.

"Are you sure you want to go shopping? We could just stay here instead?"

"As tempting as that is" she replied rolling onto her back, "recovery day is tomorrow! Up and at it Melendez!"

"Yes Ma'am" came the unenthusiastic response.

They dressed, had breakfast and left the house. Neil still wasn't feeling the excitement but Audrey seemed more keen. They headed over to Bassett Home Furnishings and headed inside. Thirty minutes later, they had pretty much disagreed about everything. Colours, finishes, designs... everything. They were stood looking at the dining sets debating how many chairs they needed when they were approached by a salesperson.

"Hi, nice to meet you" he said.

"Hi" they replied in unison.

"Can I help you today? You seem a little undecided."

"Absolutely, yes please" Audrey replied. "We're can't agree on anything."

"That's not a problem, I can help with that. What kind of space are you trying to fill?"

"A whole house" answered Neil.

"Pardon?"

"A whole house" Audrey confirmed. "We moved in last week and all we have is a bed, sofa and some barstools in the kitchen."

"Wow" the salesman replied. "Well we can help you there, no problem. We offer a very popular design service, would you like to take a seat and we can take some details."

"Absolutely" they answered together.

Thirty minutes later, they left the store after giving them an idea of what they were looking for. They would come by in the week to measure up and put together some plans for them to view. They made their way to the car, smiles on their faces that they had made a good decision.

As Audrey went to open her door, she felt his hand cover hers. She turned into to him and saw a sullen look on his face.

"Sorry" he said. "I know much you wanted to do this ourselves."

"Are you kidding me, that was torture! I'd happily let someone else sort that out for us."

He smiled. "Now we get to have fun instead."

"Oh, I'm not so sure you'll find it fun" she said putting her arms around his neck and dropping a quick kiss on his lips. He raised his eyebrows and she continued "I'm calling in our deal Mister."

"What deal?"

"The epic yoga fail versus motorcycle ride deal."

"Oh no way, really? I thought you'd forgotten about that?"

"Nope! I've been back on the road for 4 weeks now, we're good to go."

"Great" he said with a grimace.

"Man up, Melendez. I bet you'll love it."

As it turned out, he didn't hate it. It took a while for him to relax into it, but he trusted her implicitly which made it easier. He loved being that close to her, especially in those form fitting leathers she wore, that made the whole experience much more fun.

They arrived home late that afternoon and as they pulled onto the drive, their next door neighbour waved from their front yard. They raised a hand back and Neil dismounted and headed towards the front door. Audrey pulled the bike into the garage, setting the door to close and followed on.

"First Contact" she mumbled into his back as she pushed him through the door.

He laughed "What's the rush?"

"I don't want to be dressed head to toe in leather the first time I meet my neighbors" she said closing the door quickly.

"I haven't got a problem with it" he teased as he stalked closer. "But I'll happily help you out of them" he said playing with the zipper. 


	19. Chapter 19

Vacation for me next week with poor cell service so not likely to update until next weekend. Hope you're all still around then! Thanks to the reviewers, especially the regulars, nice to see your names pop up.

XX

While waiting for an appointment to see a Andrews the following week, Audrey continued to wear her ring on her chain. They sat down with him one afternoon to give him the news to which he seemed genuinely pleased.

"I'm happy for you both. There has been no change in your professional relationship throughout so I don't image the board will have any issues. Dr Lim, Dr Melendez, congratulations."

They thanked him and rose to leave. "I'll expect an invitation" he teased with a smirk on his face. They responded with a nervous laugh.

As the elevator doors closed after the meeting she turned to him. "Does he actually think we'd call it off if he objected?!"

"He loves the power, let him have it" he laughed. "We going to make an announcement or you just gonna put that thing on and see how long it takes Murphy to notice?"

"Let's do that. I bet you a dollar he announces it by the end of the day."

"Deal" he replied holding out his hand to shake on it, despite knowing it was a sure thing. She took his face in her hands and kissed him until they heard the 'ding' of the doors about to open. "Deal" she confirmed with a smile.

Audrey set off towards the ER as Neil headed towards the lobby to grab a coffee before heading back to his office. Before he could sit down, he got a page for a consult in the ER. He pulled his white coat back on and headed downstairs again.

He nodded at Audrey as he passed by and headed into a cubicle and she smiled back putting her finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

Then he heard it, loud and as clear as the nose on his face. "Dr Lim, you and Dr Melendez are engaged to be married. You are wearing a ring to show this. This is good news, congratulations."

"Thank you Dr Murphy" he heard. "Now let's focus here for a moment, this gentleman needs attention."

He finished his brief consult, called by an overcautious first year resident and made his way back upstairs. He got off the elevator on the third floor and held the door for a group of RNs on their way home after a long shift. As they passed him, he heard "Congratulations Dr Melendez, she's a lucky woman" from one of them, not sure which one, he smiled and mumbled "Thanks."

He smiled to himself as he approached the nurses station, 'news travels fast in this place' he thought to himself. He interrupted a hushed conversation by placing a file down harder than required. His opinion was, that if it couldn't be talked about normally, then it shouldn't be talked about in public. Besides, he'd heard a few words such as 'officially of the market' and 'she's not going to like it' and figured that it was just gossip.

X

Everything was falling into place today so they decided to try and meet for lunch which turned out to be a mistake. They sat at a table in the cafeteria and picked at their plates. It seemed to them as if they were in a goldfish bowl. Staff members mulling around on their break, plenty of staring and whispers which they imagined were about them.

They were about to give up when they were joined at their table by Dr Glassman.

"Is this seat taken" he asked knowing full well it wasn't.

"Not at all, please" Audrey replied.

"Well there seems to be a bit of a buzz around the place today. You two have been the subject of some serious gossip."

"Ah, it's not gossip if it's true" said Neil.

Glassman smiled "Congratulations. It's taken long enough" he teased.

They both looked at him, eyebrows raised. "You're telling me this competitiveness over the last decade hasn't been anything more than professional?"

"Never" Audrey replied. "Besides, I was never competing" she said nudging Neil in the side.

"Yeah, yeah" he said. "Old news."

Glassman continued "Well it's nice to have good news around here for a change. Although, you should probably know..."

He was interrupted by both their pagers sounding at the same time. They checked and made their apologies as they dashed off to find out what was going on.

X

With the days crisis averted, for the first time in a while they were due to finish their shifts at a similar time and they were looking forward to heading home together. He was just packing some papers into his case when he heard a light knock on the door.

He looked up and smiled. Audrey stepped inside and said "I think you owe me a dollar."

"No problem, come get it."

He perched in the end of his desk and she stepped into the space between his feet. "How do you want payment, cash or..." he started.

She kissed him. They weren't big on public displays of affection in work, apart from that one time. His hands came to her hips and he pulled her closer to him so they were touching in all the right places.

"Easy tiger" she teased. "This office is a little bit see through being made of glass and all."

"There is nobody here and I'm allowed to kiss my fiancée" he said nipping at her neck.

She pushed his shoulders back and he lifted his head to look into her eyes. "Kiss, not devour. Stop it!" He let out a laugh and dropped his hands back to the table.

Another tap on the door drew their attention away from each other. Neil's eyes widened which prompted Audrey to turn.

"Jessica" they said in unison.

"Neil, Audrey" she said. "I was just passing by to say hello but I guess congratulations are in order."

"Erm, thanks" Neil replied. "What brings you back to St Bonaventure?"

"Just a few meetings for a case I'm working on. Heck of a day to pick" she replied.

"Would you like to..." Audrey started.

"No thanks, I've got to go" she replied. "It's good to see you both happy" she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

"So that was..."

"Something" Audrey finished.

They stood for a moment, neither quite sure what to say. Audrey stepped back and Neil stood and carried on packing his papers, no more words were shared.

Walking to the elevator, he took her hand and as the door closed, she placed her head on his shoulder.

"That was uncomfortable" she said.

"It was" he agreed. "Explains a few things though" he said, as he detailed the conversation he overheard at the nurses station and Glassmans comment before he was interrupted by their pagers.

"You didn't know she was here?"

"Of course I didn't. I might have mentioned it if I had" he replied sharply.

"Excuse me for asking" she said standing up straight and taking her hand out of his grip.

"Really? We're going to fall out over this?" He asked.

Her shoulders slumped. "No, we aren't but maybe we should talk about it."

"At home?" He asked as the doors opened.

"Yeah, let's go home" she said taking his hand again.

They walked to the car in a quiet contemplation. He opened her door, as always but their usual kiss didn't come.

He sighed as he shut the door and walked to his side, disappointed this had tainted their day.

They drove home quietly, parked and went inside. Made a start on dinner and eventually sat down, ready to talk.

"Where should we start?" Neil asked.

"I'm not really sure. How did you feel today?"

"Well most of my day has been wonderful. Everyone has been happy for us, and seems to have been waiting for it" he encouraged. "What about you?"

"Same, it's been great. Everyone has been excited for us. It was just a bit of a shock to see her."

"But we're ok? You know I'm never going back there right?" Neil said.

"Yeah, we're ok. I know you aren't, but it just felt weird. How would you feel if Kashal just showed up?"

"I know, I know. I'd be pissed if he showed up too. At least he doesn't live in the same city, I suppose this was always a possibility."

"She's so close to Glassman too. I suppose I just figured she was 'gone'. Naive I know" she said.

"No, not really. It's part of the reason we moved isn't it. Fresh start and all? Listen..." he took her hand across the table, "the reasons Jessica and I separated aren't an issue with us. We've talked through it like adults and you trust me when I say you make me happy. You are all I need, anything... or anyone else is a bonus."

She smiled softly, "I know, and I do trust you when you say that. It's just unsettling and typical it was today" she said a little wryly.

"Well, from what she said, she might be around while this case lasts, or at least the meetings."

"That's true, won't be such a shock next time we see her though eh" she teased.

"Let's be honest, I think there was shock from all parties" he teased. "Come on, let's clear up and enjoy what's left of our evening."

X

Over the next couple of days, they continued to be lucky with their shifts, finishing around the same time. They arrived and left together every day and were getting used to the routine. Today was the last day of that, unfortunately. The coming week was full of meetings for Audrey which meant more 9 to 5 hours, whereas Neil had some scheduled procedures mixed in with shift work which was more unpredictable.

Neil was just returning to his office after an emergency which had taken place overnight. As he walked out of the elevator, he saw a familiar blonde head waiting in his office. He rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. 'Only 08.30' he thought, 'waaaaaaay too early for this.'

"Hey" he said announcing his arrival.

"Hi" she replied. "I didn't think you'd mind if I waited in here. I felt a bit awkward standing in the corridor."

"Sure, no problem. What's up, what do you need?" He asked.

"I just wanted to say hi, catch up a bit. Looks like things have changed quite a bit since I saw you last."

"Yeah, quite a bit" he replied with a smile.

"I went by the condo last week and the new owners said you'd moved in with your girlfriend. I suppose I didn't believe it would be Audrey Lim, all those little arguments when we first started dating where her name came up."

"Nothing ever happened, you should know I wouldn't do that" he said sternly.

"I know, I know. You're a good man. It seems I realised it too late" she said sadly.

He decided to cut to the chase "What do you want from me? Are you expecting something more here?"

"Honestly, I was. But seeing you together last night I know I don't stand a chance. I guess I came by to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry" he's said, not really knowing what else to say. They sat in an awkward silence.

"My meeting is at nine, so I'd best head over." she said as she stood to leave.

"Sure" he replied. "It was nice to see you. Not saying we'll be friends, but you don't need to be a stranger ok?"

"Thanks Neil" she replied. She left his office and waited for the elevator. The doors pinged and opened and out stepped Audrey. They nodded at each other and as the doors closed on her, Jessica leaned heavily against the back wall and let a tear slide down her cheek. She really had blown it, it really was over.

X

Audrey headed straight to Neil's office. He was sat back in his chair looking out of the window when she knocked in the door.

"Look Jessica, there's nothing..." he said as he spun his chair around to look at her. He let out a deep breath, got up from his seat and engulfed Audrey in a bear hug. "Hi" he whispered in her ear.

"You ok" she asked with concern.

"Absolutely fine" he replied. "I missed you last night."

"I missed you too, that bed is too big for one person" she teased. "What was that all about?" She asked nodding her head towards the door.

"She wanted to say goodbye, that's all. I don't think we'll see her again soon."

"Can't say I'm disappointed" she replied which earned her a small frown from him. "What" she said defensively. "I'll get Kashal to get in touch shall I, we can compare notes on failed relationships!"

He laughed out loud at that one. "Point taken" he said. "I'm heading out now, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we've got a few hours tomorrow so let's make the most of it."

"I like the sound of that" he said with a smile.

"That can wait" she said with a mock scold. "We've got to figure out this 'do' with our folks before I have to start screening my calls."

"Can't wait" he said with a smile.

"Really?!"

"Yeah really. As long as I'm with you, I'll sit through that."

"Kiss ass" she joked.

"Love you too" he replied. 


	21. Chapter 21

They debated and juggled calendars so that dinner with their parents would be in a two weeks time. Two weeks before Christmas so there could be no confusion that this was the start of a festive tradition. They wanted to spend their first Christmas in their new home alone.

They had a 48 hour window in which to pull it off and deciding what they would eat was topic of contention. Both moms wanted to bring something to the table so it was decided that Audrey's mom would bring appetizers, and Neil's would do dessert. They would arrange the main course, which Neil would cook. Audrey agreed to help him out if he needed it and organize the place settings.

The two weeks passed quickly and tonight was the night. They had spent the day preparing dinner and everything was ready to go, they had the table set with the 9 places. As they stood back and surveyed their work Audrey said under her breath "told you we needed the bigger table." Neil squeezed her side in response which brought a squeal and a laugh as he took her in his arms.

"That's enough of that Melendez."

"We've got time" he argued.

"Not enough! They'll be here in an hour and we need to get dinner sorted."

"When did you become the sensible one?" Neil asked.

"Oh I didn't, but I don't want our parents arriving with us looking like we just got out of bed."

"Shame" he replied. "I like that look on you."

X

They were putting the final touches to dinner before it needed to go into the oven for the final stretch with 15 minutes to go before the family were due to arrive. Audrey took the controller and turned up the music. She grabbed his hands they started to dance around their kitchen to the rhythmic beats coming from the speakers.

As they moved, they got lost in the music. Kisses came flowing and hands started wandering until they were loudly interrupted by the door chime. They jumped apart as though they had received a shock and smiled at each other sheepishly.

"Impeccable timing as always" Neil joked as Audrey reached up to smooth his hair a bit from where her fingers had set it on end.

They headed to the front door, took a deep breath and opened it to the smiling faces of their families.

"Find it ok?" He asked his dad as he shuffled in the door behind the ladies.

"Sure, nice place you have here Son. You've done well."

"Thanks Dad."

The ladies had descended into the kitchen and were setting down their plates, chatting excitedly away about how they loved their house. The doorbell chimed again and Neil rushed off to answer. Gabi and her attendant had arrived to join the gathering.

As they headed in to the kitchen, Gabi walked straight into Audrey's embrace and gave her the flowers she had brought for her. Hand in hand, they went to find a vase while Neil started taking drinks orders.

Once everyone had a drink in hand, they took a mock vote to have a tour of the house before dinner. They headed off through the downstairs, pointing out bits and pieces and headed upstairs. They pointed out the rooms that Neils parents and Abuela would use tonight and headed back down to the hub of the house. As they past the front door, Neil and his dad ducked out to collect bags from the car and ran them upstairs.

Appetizers ready, they put the main in the oven and headed to sit down. They smiled as they noticed that Sofia had sat next to Audrey's mom, no doubt to conspire about wedding plans. Audreys aunt was sat by Gabi and was already chatting away.

"What could possibly go wrong" he whispered in her ear which earned him a roll of the eyes.

"Idiot" she replied. "You've tempted fate now!"

X

Despite their initial nerves, the dinner passed by without incident. After dessert, Neil's dad asked to make a toast promising to keep it short.

"Sure dad" Neil said. "Thanks."

"We have been blessed with two wonderful children who have set about making a difference in their own ways" he started. "Despite a little misunderstanding at the start, we've come to see exactly how happy you two are. Audrey, you bring out a different side to him which is wonderful. You are so in love that you can hardly tell where one of you ends, and the other begins."

He stopped to take a small sip from his glass. Then continued "I'm proud of you both, you're real life heroes doing what you do. I think I can speak for us all when I say how much we're all looking forward to this wedding. Please raise your glasses to Neil and Audrey."

"Neil and Audrey!" The rest of the table echoed as they leaned towards each other and kissed.

"Thanks Dad" Neil said as he took his seat again.

"No problem Son. I'm so very happy for you."

Dinner came to a natural end and Audreys Mom and Aunt headed out first, her mom had work early in the morning. They called a ride for Gabi and her attendant to drive them back to the home. She didn't always do well in new environments so they though they thought it best she didn't stay this time around.

Then they were down to five. It was all hands on deck to clear and sort the dishes into the washer and the family announced they were turning in for the night. Neil and Audrey were left alone finally. They looked at each other from opposite sides of the counter and grinned.

"Happy?"

"Happy" she replied.

"C'mere" he said and she walked around and into his arms. "Told you it'd be a breeze" he teased.

"It could get boring, this you being right aaaaall the time" she joked.

"Well that's just tough luck, you wanted to put a ring on it" he retorted kissing her nose.

They kissed again, and again as they got lost in sensations until they heard a small cough from the doorway. They startled and Neil dropped his head to her shoulder with a chuckle.

"Don't mind me" came the small voice from Abuela. "I just needed a quick drink before bed."

"Sorry Lita" Neil said with a smile.

"No need to apologise lovebirds" she teased. "I'll see you in the morning."

"We'd best head up too" Audrey said after she left. "Got to get a good breakfast on in the morning. Being the host with the most is hard work ya know!"

"More like you don't want to get caught making out in the kitchen again" he teased.

"Ah you figured me out" she replied sarcastically. "Let's see how quiet you can be under pressure Melendez" she whispered in his ear as she took his hand and led him up the stairs. 


	22. Chapter 22

Next morning, they surfaced earlier than they usually would on a day off. Audrey wanted to put on a decent breakfast so they set an alarm for 7am.

Neil groaned into her neck as the buzzer sounded as they woke wrapped up in each other. Last night had been so intense that they fell asleep right where they collapsed. After his original misgivings about the whole thing, the 'my parents are down the hall' objection was quickly forgotten and the silence Audrey had insisted on made for a mind blowing night.

Audrey sprung out of bed like a coiled spring and headed off to the shower. Literally, two minutes later she returned towering her hair with one hand and pulling on a pair of pants with the other.

"What's going on?" He asked in disbelief. "What have you done with the Audrey Lim I know and love. The one who hates anything before 8am!"

"Let's move, Operation Breakfast is a go!" She said throwing a pillow at his head.

"Ok, go" he replied. "I can't cope with this right now, I'll be down in ten" as he grabbed the pillow rolled over and buried his head underneath it.

"Make it five" she countered as she pulled the sheets off the bottom of the bed on the way out of the door. She gave a laugh to herself hearing his whispered expletives.

X

As he arrived downstairs ten minutes later he was greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder as he reached around to get himself a cup.

"Morning," he said quietly. "We first up?"

"Yeah we are, got the coffee sorted and put some pastries into warm and just got this fruit to prep and I'm done" she said.

"They are going to think they're in a hotel if you're not careful. They'll be wanting to come back every weekend" he teased.

"We wouldn't do that" Sofia announced as she walked in. "You young people in love need your privacy" she said making Neil blush.

"Morning Mom, you guys sleep ok?"

"Such a good nights sleep. The bed in that guest room is so comfortable, your father won't get up yet! Your home is lovely, you've done such a good job filling it so far. Are you going to put up a decorations for Christmas?"

"We've not thought that far ahead" Audrey replied. "Most of the houses on the block are decorated already but we aren't going to be here all that much so it seems a waste."

"You're going away for the holidays?" Abuela asked, coming into the kitchen. She had only caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Unfortunately not, we'll be working for much of it. We do have a few hours together here and there."

"That's a shame" Sofia replied. "Couldn't you 'fix it' in your position Audrey?" She asked.

Audrey laughed "I absolutely could, but we said we'd cover as much as we could for the people who have kids to take the time off."

"Hopefully, one day, they can return the favour for you" Sofia said innocently.

Neil and Audrey exchanged a brief look. Sofia had been very mindful on the subject of children since the wedding weekend so they didn't pick her up on that one comment. They understood she was excited at the thought of it so couldn't call her out on that.

"What's that wonderful smell Audrey?" Abuela asked, changing the subject. "Are we being spoilt for breakfast too!"

Neil looked over and smiled "You sure are, nothing but the best for you Lita" he said.

"Your father had better hurry up, else he'll be having just crumbs" she laughed.

X

They sat and enjoyed a long breakfast together. The conversation flowed through many topics and eventually talk turned to wedding plans.

"Have you set a date?"

"Not yet, maybe in the spring."

"Have you looked at any venues?"

"Not yet, we'll go in the new year. We want to see places without the Christmas decorations up."

"Ah yes, good idea. What about a church? I know you don't go to one regularly but is there one around that will take you? You know, with your history?"

Audrey looked at Neil and raised her eyebrows.

"Ok Mom, let's pause the inquisition please. We've been busy and will be for a good few weeks yet. We'll start planning when we're ready."

"But..."

"No buts, we'll let you know. I know your excited but be patient, we will let you know as we go along, same as Audrey's mom. We're not going to rush this, we're going to get it right" he said smiling at Audrey.

"Sorry, sorry, you're right. It's all very exciting and I get carried away."

Audrey smiled "It's fine, I understand. Maybe when I've got to make some decisions I'm not sure on, you and my Mom could come along and help me out?"

"That would be lovely, thank you" Sofia said with a big smile. Neil leaned in and whispered "thank you" in her ear under the guise of kissing her cheek.

X

After breakfast was cleared away, the family made to head home saying they wanted to leave Neil and Audrey relax for the rest of their day.

As they stood on the front step waving them off Neil asked "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"Nothing" she replied instantly.

"Nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing please. Being so excessively nice has almost burned me out. I need a rest before I have to be nice again tomorrow in work" she laughed.

"I can deal with that. Let's go do nothing" he said, taking her hand and leading her inside.

They spent the rest of their day just hanging out. They sat together, catching up on some reading, watching a movie or two and eating junk food. They chatted about wedding venues and made a list of ones to contact in the new year and Audrey even took a little look at some wedding gowns when Neil wasn't paying attention. They didn't speak much but were just happy to be around each other.

"Shall we get a tree?" Audrey asked out of the blue.

"Pardon?" He replied.

"Should we get a Christmas tree? It'll be a bit crappy not to be able to put our gifts under one. I mean, I don't wanna go crazy and decorate the yard and the roof and everything but a tree would be nice. And maybe a wreath on the door?"

He looked at her with a goofy grin "I think that's a great idea. Can we get a real tree though? I like the smell of the pine."

"Well who knew we could be so festive. Lets go pick one up in the next couple of days. We'll need to get trimmings too, and a star for the top."

"Alright Mrs. Claus, calm down or we'll have as grotto on our hands" he teased.

"Mrs. Clause? Really, that's your thing?" She teased right back.

He blushed for the second time today but recovered quickly. "Well I would say no to unwrapping that on Christmas morning" he said giving her a look.

This time it was Audreys turn to blush and she leaned into kiss him as a distraction "Best get some practice in" she murmured against his lips with a smile.


	23. Chapter 23

Two days later, after finishing work around the same time they decided to go shop for a Christmas tree. They headed to a local lot in Neil's car, parked up and headed in the gate.

"Wow! This is bigger than I thought it would be" Audrey said looking around.

"What were you expecting?" Neil asked. "Have you ever picked out a real tree?"

"Not really" she replied. "Christmas was never really a big thing for me and Mom. We had a crappy artificial one we dragged out every year. Real trees were too expensive."

"Gabi always loved Christmas so after her accident, Mom and Dad always pulled out all the stops for us. I think they realised how easy it would actually be to lose one of us and it hit them hard."

She looked at him as he spoke. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring at a beautiful Fraser Fir with a glisten in his eyes. He had never spoken directly about what happened to Gabi, all she knew was they were in an accident when they were younger. She took his hand and quietly said "this one looks good doesn't it? Let's get it."

Those few words broke him from his trance and he turned to look at her. A small tear rolled down his cheek but he smiled at her.

"Sorry about that" he said.

"Nothing to be sorry about" she replied putting her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. He buried his nose in her hair and she could feel him smiling against her.

"Look at you two, right under that mistletoe" came a voice through the fog of their emotions. They looked over to see an older woman pointing above their heads and then looked up. They smiled at her then focused back on each other. Her eyes flickered to his lips which were turned in a small smile, she looked back up and found him staring at her.

"I love you" she said.

He leaned in and kissed her, again and again. Probably a little too long for a kiss in a Christmas tree lot but right now they didn't care who was watching.

"I love you too" he said.

Like a switch went off, the bounce was back in his step and he was telling her to stay put and watch 'their tree' while he went to find the vendor.

The lady approached Audrey who was stood a little startled like a deer in headlights.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Um, yes. Thank you, yes I'm fine" she replied. "Didn't realise that this would be such a big deal" she said to the woman. "I thought it was just a tree."

"Looks like a bit more than that to him bless his heart."

"Seems that way" Audrey smiled.

"I don't want to pry, but have you been together long? Is this your first Christmas together?"

Audrey looked, she wasn't usually the sharing type when it came to her personal life but this woman had something about her.

"No, it's our second" she replied. "But last year the relationship was very new and I was very unwell so this year is the first normal one. We bought a home together last month."

"Well, congratulations! You should really get yourself one of those" she said pointing at the ball of mistletoe. "From what a just saw, it'd make for a very merry Christmas" she teased.

Audrey blushed and started to apologise when the woman stopped her. "You remind me of me husband and I. We were a little late to the party too by the time we're figured it all out. But the years I spent with him were the best years of my life. I miss him" she said with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry" Audrey said, nothing else seemed enough. At that moment Neil came bouncing back with the vendor to claim their tree. As Audrey looked back to where the woman had been standing, she was gone. She overheard Neil arranging delivery for tomorrow morning and as the guy asked "anything else we can help you with?" she jumped in with a "yes please" to Neil's surprise.

"One of those please" she said pointing to the ball of mistletoe above them. Neil raised his eyebrows, gave a cheeky smile but said nothing, he knew better.

As they walked back to the car, she took his hand. To her surprise, he shook it loose and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned in and placed her arm around his waist as they walked to the car in silence.

"Thanks for humoring me" he said as he opened her door.

"Always" she replied with a kiss and a smile.

X

Next stop on their list was Target for decorations and trimmings. They pulled into the parking lot and took a deep breath. Neither of them had imagined hitting the shops two weeks before Christmas for any reason. Let alone battling the crowds at a Target store for decorations.

They grabbed one of the last free carts and headed inside. Nothing could have prepared them for the bedlam they saw in front of them, not even working in a busy Emergency Room.

The were people everywhere, carts overflowing and the checkout lines were obscene.

"What were we thinking?" Audrey asked. "This is definitely not going to be as much as the tree lot."

"You're not wrong. Shall we get outta here, we'll look online at home."

"Thank goodness, let's go." They abandoned their cart and headed to the car breathing a sigh of relief as they shut the cart doors and took a moment to appreciate the silence.

They stopped by Audreys favourite food truck on the way home and picked up tacos for dinner.

Sat in the quiet of their own home after dinner, they fired up the tablet and started shopping. After a small debate on colour, and a few clicks later the online cart was getting full. They settled on reds and greens with a little gold thrown in and a wreath for the door. As Audrey finished up with the shopping details, Neil headed to the kitchen to fix them a drink. As he left the room, Audrey quickly added a few more items she had seen whilst browsing and checked out quickly before Neil came back.

Handing her a glass and sitting down he asked "all done?"

"All sorted, will be here day after tomorrow."

"Nice. Here's to Christmas shopping" he said raising his glass.

"Cheers" she replied with a smile.

X

Next morning, the tree arrived bright and early along with the stand and the mistletoe they ordered. They had it placed in the main living space near the fire, tipped the delivery man and sat back and stared at it.

"Not looking so good right now, is it?" Audrey said.

"Tomorrow will be better. We've got a few hours together tomorrow afternoon, want to decorate it together?"

"Absolutely" she replied. "But for now..." she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. "This will have to do" she said giving him a nudge towards the mistletoe. 


	24. Chapter 24

They had taken a few hours together to decorate their tree once all the parcels had arrived. It was looking very festive indeed. A wreath adorned their front door and then came the extras that Audrey had ordered. A couple of festive themed tumblers for their bourbon, a cushion or two and a garland for the fireplace.

"I've created a monster" Neil teased opening the last box and finding Nordic style bed linen inside.

"Shut up" she replied. "I'm embracing the Christmas spirit."

"C'mere" he said. "I'd rather you embraced me" he joked.

"Hang on" she said as she grabbed a parcel from the bottom of the last box and stashed it out of sight.

"What's that?"

"Nothing" she replied.

X

The two weeks leading up to Christmas had passed in a blur of meetings, surgeries and minor emergencies. However, in comparison to last years quarantine, things were much more manageable.

Christmas Eve they found themselves on opposite shifts so planned to spend an hour together in a diner just outside the hospital. They had previously tried spending this time in their offices or the cafeteria but they were continuously interrupted by everyone from their residents to Andrews, so they had found their own safe space.

Neil's routine surgery from the previous day had turned out to be anything but that. There were complications during and they were possibly going to have to operate again today. The patients family were understandably beside themselves and the whole situation was very intense, his residents were finding it challenging to placate them but were doing their best.

When they saw the family approaching him as he was on his way out to meet Audrey, they stepped in quickly. Browne and Reznick had been picking up a coffee when they saw the family making a bee line towards him and diverted themselves to take the hit. Everyone was aware that Lim and Melendez had taken on extra hours over the next couple of days so people with families could take a break over Christmas. They thought if they stepped in, it would allow them to have that precious hour together.

Neil noticed this and raised his hand subtly in thanks. He would be sure to say thank you in person later.

Sat next to each other in a booth at the back of the diner, they picked at their shared platter and sipped at their coffees.

"You going home now?" Audrey asked.

"Not yet, I need to speak to the family again. They just tried to catch me on the way out but Browne and Reznick ran interference."

"Any more complications expected now?"

"Hoping not, I should be able to get home for a few hours sleep before I'm due back in the morning" he said. "I'll miss you though."

"Let's book another trip" she said suddenly, changing the subject. "My turn to arrange it this time, end of February?"

"Sure, ok. Any reason in particular?"

"Quite a few really" she replied. "We missed our anniversaries, we've had a crappy Christmas and I miss you too."

"Anniversaries? Plural?"

"Yeah, of a bunch of things. The night we got together, the time we admitted feelings" she said using air quotes.

Neil laughed and added "Our first secret date? Making it official?"

"Exactly" she agreed. "Let's celebrate!"

"Sure thing, let's do it. I'll put my leave into Andrews this week. They shouldn't say no after the epic shifts we've pulled so far."

"I'm in charge this time remember?"

"How could I forget, my life is in your hands."

"Safest hands you know" she replied leaning into him. Her put his arm around her and they sat together quietly watching people coming and going until it was time to make a move themselves.

They headed back to the hospital hand in hand and for a change, they didn't let go as they entered the building. They crossed the lobby and stood waiting at the elevator bank and he heard his name being called.

"I'll come say goodnight before I go" he said pulling her in for a quick kiss before letting her hand go and turning to greet his patients family.

X

Several hours later, he had not been by to say goodnight. Whilst taking to the relatives earlier, he had received an emergency page and had to take the patient back into surgery again. Around 9pm that night, he was confident that this operation had been a success. Dr Murphy had made a controversial but brilliant call during the final procedure which had saved the patients life, Neil was sure of that.

Once he had finished all his paperwork for the day it was nearer to 1am so he wandered from his office to look for Audrey. He found her in the Emergency Room reviewing a patient who had just been brought in with radiating chest pain.

He waited at the nurses station for her to finish her assessment. "I hope that's not another one heading my way" he said as she approached him.

"Not tonight, don't worry" she said putting her hand on his shoulder. "You ok?" She asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be ok. Could do with a few hours sleep" he replied. "Not a lot of point heading home now, got to be back here in 5 hours."

"Why don't you go sleep in the on-call room. There should be space setting as we're running on skeleton staff."

"I might just do that, it'll be more comfortable than the sofa in my office that's for sure" he replied.

He kissed her on the cheek and headed off to find somewhere to rest his head.

A couple of hours later, during a lull in admissions, she decided to go check on him. He was fast asleep on one of the bottom bunks right where she thought he would be. She hunkered down next to him and looked at his peaceful face. 'He is handsome' she thought, all his worry lines from the day had gone and he looked younger. She checked her watch, there was another 3 hours before she was due to head home so she kicked off her shoes, nudged his side and he automatically moved to give her space.

She curled into his side, rested her head on his chest and headed off to sleep as he sighed contentedly.

Two hours later, her pager sounded startling her awake. Neil stirred and kissed her head.

"Morning, Merry Christmas" he mumbled into her hair.

"Merry Christmas, love. Looks like we get to wake up together Christmas morning after all" she replied.

"This place has its perks" he said stretching. "I'd best go get changed and check on my guy. I'll be home tonight in time for dinner. We'll exchange gifts then yes?"

"Absolutely, it'll be perfect" she replied pulling on her shoes.

"Love you Lim."

"Love you too Melendez." 


	25. Chapter 25

As promised he arrived home in time for dinner around 6pm. He shuffled in the door, dropping all his bags just inside and moving to hang up his coat.

"Hi" he called out.

"Hi, I'm in the kitchen" was the response.

He followed her voice and found her throwing a tray into the oven. The breakfast bar was set for dinner and a bourbon was waiting for him in his new tumbler.

"Had a good day?" Neil asked taking a sip.

"Quiet" she replied. "I visited with Mom this afternoon, she says hi by the way. Have you spoken to your folks?"

"Oh yes, this morning. And I called Gabi this afternoon. Sounded like the party was getting wild there so I didn't keep her long" he laughed.

"Come on, dinner will be about an hour" Audrey said, taking his hand. "Let's go open presents."

"Sounds great."

X

Sitting on the floor next to their tree, Audrey hand him a parcel. "From your Mom" she said.

"I can tell you now, a new shirt" he said.

"You're no fun! Open it and see."

He held up a new shirt with a shrug and a smile. "Nothing if not predictable" he said. "What did you get?"

She opened her parcel and stifled a laugh. She held out her new shirt which was a very similar colour and smiled. "See, predictable" he teased. "Here, this is from Gabi" he said handing her a small bag. Inside was a hand painted glass panel with a small suction cup to attach to a window. Gabi had painted the flowery scene herself and Audrey decided it would go right by the kitchen sink so she could see it every day.

Neil received a men's grooming set with one of his favourite scents. "I think you're the new favourite" he teased.

"This one is from me" she said to him. "I know we said we weren't getting much and we'd take a trip instead, but you had to have something."

"Thank you, I kinda did the same. Here is yours" he said dragging a box out from the back of the tree where it had been well hidden.

Neil pulled at the bow and removed the lid. Inside was a beautifully soft, black leather jacket. "I love it" he said as he stood to try it on. "Fits perfectly and smells amazing, thank you so much" he said pulling into a hug. "Your turn."

She slowly pulled at the bow, lifted the lid and gave a laugh. Inside was a new bike jacket, one she had been looking at for a while but couldn't bring herself to buy it. "It's perfect" she exclaimed. "How did you know?" She asked.

"You don't clear your browser history" he joked.

"Thank you so much" she said kissing him soundly. "Sit there a minute, I have one more present for you" she said as she left the room.

He sat, waiting patiently and started fiddling with the packaging on his gift from Gabi. He removed the lid and gave a long sniff and startled slightly when he heard a cough designed to get his attention. He looked up and had no words. Audrey Lim stood in the doorway in a cute little Christmas outfit. Not something obscene, but heck of a lot less than she normally wore around the house.

His eyes took in every detail from her toes, up her long, slender legs and continued upwards and stopped until he heard "Hey mister, my eyes are up here" she teased.

He grinned, apologised and got to his feet. She started to feel self conscious and started waffling "I know it's stupid."

"Definitely not stupid" he said as they stood toe to toe.

"I feel like an idiot."

"You look... hot" he replied shuffling closer again but not actually touching. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Very" kiss "very" kiss "hot. How long until dinner?"

"Long enough" she replied with a slow smile. He grinned at her reply and put his hands on her hips, and guided her until her back was against the wall. He rained kisses on her like her life depended on it which left her struggling to catch her breath.

"Come with me" he said taking her hand and leading her to the sofa. He sat down heavily, pulling her with him so she sat astride him.

"I'm going to take my time unwrapping this present" he teased.

"Merry Christmas handsome" she replied as her thoughts drifted away.

X

"So that was..."

"Something else. That was the best present ever. Thank you."

"I think I got my fair share of fun out if it too" she teased.

"Yeah, but I know how far out of your comfort zone that little outfit took you. That's what's special, that you did that for me" he said smiling at her.

"Well you can clear the dishes tonight if you're that grateful."

"I'll clear the dishes for the rest of the year after that!"

X

After a great dinner, they cleared away the dishes and settled down in front of the television with a drink to catch up on some shows they had missed over the last week or so. Audrey was back in work at 8am the next day so they had a couple more drinks and headed to bed.

"I've had a great day, you know."

"Really? We hardly saw each other though?"

"Yeah really, I know I wasn't actually here for most of it. But the bit we had together was amazing. And next year will be even better."

"First one as husband and wife" she said.

"Damn straight Mrs. Melendez."

"Ha, I don't think so Mr. Lim!"

"Can't wait" Neil countered. "It'll be a great year."


	26. Chapter 26

The next couple of weeks of the New Year were a flurry of excitement. They had appointments with wedding venues in between their hours at the hospital and had a meeting at their local church to discuss options for their ceremony.

Their requirements for a venue were simple. Nothing ostentatious, a calm environment and some rooms for travelling family and friends to stay if they wanted. They were determined to keep it fairly low key, they had always been in agreement that their private lives were to be relaxed as possible to counteract their hectic work lives and their wedding was to be no different.

On their fifth appointment in almost as many days, they realised this wasn't going to be so easy after all. These places were all booked years in advance and they were looking at having to wait almost two years to get married.

"This is getting annoying" Audrey said as the most recent coordinator was looking through the calendar.

"We can book something in for May 2021?" she suggested as she looked up from her screen. That earned her a frown from both of them.

"Sorry" Neil said, rubbing his temple. "We were just hoping it'd be sooner. Looks like we're going to have to wait."

"Can you wait here just a second?" She asked.

"Sure" Audrey replied. "We've got time."

The coordinator headed out of the room with her tablet in hand and they sat and waited. Neil sipped at his coffee and Audrey glanced at her emails on her cell.

Ten minutes or so, she returned with a fresh pot of coffee and sat back down.

"I've got something you might be interested in?"

This focused their attention immediately and they sat forward in their seats.

"We're listening" Audrey said.

"We confirmed a cancellation this morning. The couple who booked it had to postpone because of illness in the family."

"Riiiiight?"

"We've offered it out to couples on our waiting list but it has been declined due to the short notice."

Audrey started to shift in her seat.

"It's on February 28th."

"Six weeks time?" Neil asked.

"Yes, six weeks time" she confirmed.

They looked at each other, back at the coordinator and back at each other with a smile.

"Let's do it" they said in unison. "Let's get married."

"Great" she replied. "I figured you might say that and that we'd need the extra coffee" as she reached forward and poured them all a fresh cup.

X

They left the venue a few hours later having arranged almost the whole event. They had called the priest while they were there to ask for the date and promised to still come in for the pre-cana. Those meetings would usually be spread over a few weeks but with the tight timescale they were working with the priest agreed a favour for Neil, they would do a condensed session over one day. The rehearsal dinner, cocktail hour, dinner settings and flowers were all arranged for the previous couple so with a few tweaks here and there, they were as good as ready. This left them with just the more personal aspects like outfits and rings and of course, send out invitations.

"My Mom is going to go nuts" Neil smiled.

"I doubt that very much" Audrey replied. "She's been waiting for this day for a while now. She'll be beside herself!"

"I mean good nuts. I'm considering doing it on Skype so we can catch the reactions" Neil joked.

"That would be amazing. We have to do that. Let's go break the news!"

X

Early that evening, before dinner, they set up their Skype and dialled in to their parents. Audrey's Mom popped up first with Neil parents joining them seconds later.

"Hi you two" shouted Sofia.

"Mom, you don't need to shout, we're can hear you fine" Neil replied with a smile. He had been trying to teach his parents the benefits of Skype for the last couple of months and it had been a challenge. From Sofia not wanting her face on the 'interweb' to Ben thinking that they could now be hacked by international criminals trying to steal their identities it was continuous entertainment.

Audrey's mom was more tech savvy and was patiently waiting for the activity to calm down.

"We've got news" Audrey started slowly. "We've booked a date" she added quickly as she saw shocked looks begin to appear on their parents faces.

"Oh wonderful, that's great news" said Su. "We'll get started on the dress shopping."

"Well you'll need to do it soon, we've got six weeks" Neil said.

"What!" was the unanimous reply.

"Six weeks. February 28th, save the date!" Audrey said with a smile.

"Wow, that's soon. Are you pregnant Audrey?"

"Mom, Jeez! No! Sorry Sofia" she said with a grimace. "They had a cancellation so it was in six weeks or we wait two years."

"We've spoken to the priest in a little church nearby and he's happy that Audrey has had an annulment for reasons we don't need to be specific about right now. We'll attend pre-cana in the next couple of weeks and we're are good to go" Neil stated.

"I'm so excited for you both" Sofia said with tears in her eyes.

"This will be wonderful" added Su. "My beautiful girl is getting married" she smiled.

"Now you boys need to shoo, we need to talk."

Audrey looked to Neil, a little concerned.

"No need to worry love, just girly wedding stuff. I'm sure you'll love it" he teased as he kissed her in the cheek and headed to the kitchen to start dinner.

X

Twenty or so minutes later, Audrey appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"I told them I had to go, dinner was ready" she said walking into his arms.

"That bad?"

"No, no, they're just excited. I'm just glad we got most of it done today or I think they'd move in and "help out"" she exaggerated with air quotes.

"It'll be fine. Shortest wedding prep list ever. Speak to Andrews, guest list, clothes, rings, churchy stuff and done. Easy" Neil said.

"I'll be reminding you of that in five weeks and six days time, shall I?"

"Absolutely, no sweat" he replied. "Let's eat and start making a list of people we like" he teased.

They took their plates to the breakfast bar to eat their dinner when "Our trip" Audrey exclaimed suddenly. "Our multi-anniversary trip was meant to be end of February!"

"Well lets push it back, make it our honeymoon instead? Bit of luxury and a bit of adrenalin will be a perfect mix, just like us."

"Are you going to be a sap for the next six weeks? I don't think I can cope" she joked.

"Got to start practicing lines for or vows, you know."

"Crap" she replied. "That's not one, don't worry" she said with a laugh.


	27. Chapter 27

**So, as the following for this appears to be gradually waning, I'm going to try and wind this up over the next few chapters to a conclusive ending. I know these long stories can be hard work to follow, major respect to the lady who has gone twice as far as me! This was my first effort at ever writing anything so wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to comment or contact me, was really kind if you!  
**

The next six weeks was a flurry of excitement. Audrey admitted that the dress shopping had not been as painful as she was expecting and the guest list was simple. Close family and friends were all very excited to received invitations to what was dubbed "the wedding of the year."

There had been one minor panic when Audrey decided that writing their own vows was 'stupid' and 'who really says this stuff anyway'.

"It's fine" Neil assured her. "Just write what you think and feel" he said.

"Not sure your family will appreciate my x- rated thoughts about you read aloud in church" she teased.

"Ha, best not" he replied with a laugh.

They held their bachelor and bachelorette parties on the same night at restaurants on the opposite sides of town. And the night of the rehearsal dinner was upon them before they could turn around twice.

There were a number of heartfelt toasts, mostly focusing on 'what took them so long' and 'it's about time' from the people who had known them the longest. There was some gentle ribbing about the golden days at the start of their residencies which had them squirming in their seats and the evening just flew by.

At the end of the night, they took some time to themselves to say goodbye to each other. They would spend this last night apart. Neil was staying the night at the venue because Audrey felt more comfortable getting ready at home so he walked her to the car she had waiting.

"I'm going to miss you tonight" she said.

"I'll miss you too" he said holding her close. "But tomorrow is going to be amazing. I can't wait to marry you."

"You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with this ball and chain" she teased.

"No doubt" he replied.

X

Next morning Audrey woke with a jump to the sound of their doorbell ringing incessantly.

"What" she barked, opening the door to a startled delivery driver.

"Ms. Lim?" He asked nervously. When she nodded the affirmative, he handed over the large bunch of flowers he was holding.

"Thank you Ma'am" he said making a hasty retreat.

After closing the door, she took a moment to think 'I'm getting married today!' before heading into the kitchen. The flowers were beautiful, the card was written by Neil.

'Love you Lim, I'll tell you why later xx  
Look inside for your something new.'

She looked gently between the stems and found a small box. Inside was a simple, teardrop diamond necklace on a shining chain. She held it up, it would be perfect to wear today.

Breaking the no contact rule she sent a quick message to say thank you then looking up at the clock on the wall, she thought 'best get dressed'. Mom, Laura and Avery would be arriving for lunch and she had lots to do.

X

Neil woke to a knock on his hotel room door. He answered to find a porter with a room service tray loaded with breakfast.

"I think you have the wrong room, sorry. I didn't order room service."

"Ah, it was ordered for you Sir by a Ms. Lim. Here is a note for you" he said as he pushed the trolley in through the door.

"Thanks" Neil replied, tipping the young man.

He sat and poured a coffee before opening the note.

'Last chance to make a run for it! Looking forward to seeing you later, love. Here's a little something to make sure you show up on time.'

He lifted the tray to see a plate loaded with breakfast and a small parcel wrapped with a bow. He pulled gently and popped the box open to find a beautiful Rolex Datejust 41 inside. He let out a low whistle of appreciation and grabbed his phone. 'She won't mind me breaking this rule' as he went to send a quick message. On seeing hers, he smiled and sent a quick reply.

X

This was it, he was as ready as he was ever going to be. He was stood at the front of the church in his tux, rocking on his heels and fussing with the cuffs of his shirt.

"You a bit nervous there mate?" Adam asked as he stepped up to straighten Neils tie. His Best Man had known him since his early twenties when they met in college and had been close ever since. He had stood by Adam ten years ago when he married his college sweetheart and their children would shortly be walking down the aisle in front of Audrey.

"Not nervous, just... nervous" he replied with a grimace.

"You'll be fine, it's always been Audrey. You just needed to get your head out of your ass to realise it."

That comment earned him a raised eyebrow from the priest standing next to them and he muttered "sorry Father" with a nervous smile.

He heard a click from the back of the church as the door opened and he turned on a pin. He let out a breath he didn't take he'd been holding when he saw it was late arriving relative whispering their apologies.

"Yeah mate, your nervous as hell" earning him another frown from the priest.

The door clicked again and this time he turned more slowly and stood in the doorway were two beautiful little flower girls. Adams daughter held baby Averys hand and they started to walk very slowly. They were followed by Gabi who wore the biggest smile he had ever seen. And then... then came Audrey.

Arm in arm with her mother she looked down the aisle and locked eyes with Neil. He heard Adam whisper "Breathe" in his ear and he was lost.

She looked like she was gliding towards him, floating on air. She looked more beautiful than ever, her dress was perfect and you could tell that she loved it too. As she arrived next to him, he whispered "hi." He was to scared to try and say anymore in case the words didn't come.

They stood side by side, going through the ceremony and then it was time. Time to face each other to exchange vows and rings.

He took her hand, took another deep breath and looked straight into her eyes. "You are my best friend and one true love." She smiled widely at that. "There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I'm the one who gets to marry you. I love you because you make me proud. Because you are adventurous and happy. I will take your love to give me hope, give me joy, and make me a better man. I promise to remember that neither one of us is perfect. But strive to remind myself of the ways that we are perfect for each other. You are the love of my life and my soul mate. Just as I give you my hand to hold today, I give you my heart, my faith, my life. I choose you today. And I would choose you again tomorrow. I would go on choosing you the day after, and every day for the rest of our lives Audrey Lim. I love you."

He slid the simple gold band onto her finger and smiled. He raised his hand to her cheek to wipe away a small tear which had escaped.

"Wow" she said. "How do I follow that?"

She looked down at their hands joined together and found a wave of confidence.

She started to speak with a slight shake in her voice. "You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you manage to love me." He let out a chuckle. "You have made me feel more loved than I ever thought possible. Today, I give you all that I am, and all that I have. You are my best friend. I love you with all my heart and stand here before all of our friends and family, sharing the happiest day of my life. And even though I'm unsure about most things in life, I am certain that I love you and will continue to love you forever. Thank you for always being kind, loving and supportive of me. Thank you for always telling me I'm beautiful and being so proud to call me yours. Thank you for loving me completely, and for giving your heart to me. It was always you Neil, I love you."

She slid the gold band onto his finger and breathed a sign of relief.

Fully focused on each other, the priest cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Sorry" they said together.

"I've only got one more line here" he said with a smile. "Neil and Audrey, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

They beamed at each other, and as applause echoed in their ears as they shared their first kiss as Mr and Mrs Melendez.


	28. Chapter 28

They stood outside the function room alone, savouring the peace and quiet. Their guests were all inside waiting for the introduction of the new couple.

"I've been dreading this part" Audrey confessed. "Everyone is going to be looking at us."

"I hate to break it to you, but they've been looking at us all afternoon" Neil replied.

"But this is different, we have to dance with everyone looking at us. Just us."

"It's a couple of minutes, just look at me and you'll be fine."

"I know, I know" she said leaning into him. "Once this bit is done, I'll be fine."

The door opened and they heard the announcement from inside "May I please have your attention as we welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Melendez! Please join me in congratulating the happy couple!"

As a round of applause broke out and he took her hand, leading her through the tables to the centre of the dance floor. They turned to face each other and the gentle fist notes of How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding came through the sound system.

'How long will I love you  
As long as stars are above you  
And longer if I can  
How long will I need you  
As long as the seasons need to  
Follow their plan'

The rest of the words faded into the background as they took these couple of minutes to focus on each other. Eyes locked, they swayed gently around blocking out any thing that could be a distraction.

As quickly as it started, the song came to an end, there was another round of applause and they took their seats for dinner.

X

After dinner came dancing. The band was doing a great job keeping the dancefloor full and it seemed everyone was having a great time. The music was a mixture of all genres and the guests all seemed happy.

A couple of hours in, their first guest approached to say their goodbyes and Audrey was disappointed to see it was Laura. Avery would not settle in her stroller and she was staying to feel self conscious at dealing with a noisy crying baby.

"Pass her here, go have a drink together before you go" Neil said. As he held out his hands, Avery leaned towards him and Laura smiled a thank you as he took her off to dance.

"You've married a good man there" she said to Audrey as they watched Neil pulling silly faces and making Avery giggle.

"Oh, I know that" she replied with a slightly wistful smile.

"It'll be your turn soon" Laura said nodding towards them.

"Hoping so. Let's grab another drink" she said heading to the bar.

A few songs later, they watched as Neil slowly rocked at the edge of the dancefloor with Avery in his arms. She had stopped fussing as soon as he had taken her and now her head was on his shoulder and her eyelids heavy. As the song came to an end, he walked back over to Audrey and Laura.

"Where do you want her?" He asked smiling.

"Thanks so much Neil" Laura replied. "Just in her stroller here should be fine. We'll hang out a while longer now" she said.

"Perfect."

X

As the night started drawing to an end Neil was looking for Audrey for some more guests wanted to say goodbye.

He found her out on the veranda, standing looking out over the grounds with a pensive look. A few of their wedding party were downstairs at the outside bar, sitting around under the heaters and enjoying the fresh air.

He walked up behind her and put his hands on the railing next to hers to trap her in place. She looked down, saw their hands with the matching gold bands and the smile returned.

"Hey wife" he whispered as he kissed her neck.

"Hey husband" she replied leaning back into him.

"You ok?" He asked. "You looked quite serious there."

"I'm fine. Just having a think" she said as she turned to face him.

"Anything I should know?"

"Nope" she replied. "Don't worry your pretty little head" she teased.

"Well you married this pretty boy" he replied with a smile. "But if you need a moment, I can go wait inside. Last couple of days have been quite full on."

"No, no stay here. Enjoy the quiet with me for a few minutes" she said as she leaned in to kiss him.

He kissed her back, melting into each other. The kisses deepened, Neil pulled her closer and her arms snaked around his neck. His hands lowered to her hips and he dropped his head to kiss her neck right on that spot she loved. She put her head back to give him more access and ran her fingers into his hair to keep him in place.

Suddenly, a noisy couple burst through the veranda doors and startled them. As the couple mumbled their apologies, Neil and Audrey smiled.

"Ok, we should get a room" she joked as she gently smoothed his hair back into place.

"Let's get on with saying goodbye to our guests, then I'm all yours" he replied with a mischievous smile.

She led him back inside to the greeting of "There you are! Where have you been" from Sofia. A few family members were heading home and wanted to say goodbye.

"Outside, making out with my wife" Neil quipped earning him a smack on the arm from his Mom but a wink from his Lita.

He grinned at Audrey who had blushed at his comment and he leaned in and whispered "That should get them moving quicker."

X

A couple of songs later, Audrey was dancing with her Mom. Her father had been gone a long time now, and her Mom never remarried so it was important for them to have these moments together.

"I'm proud of you, you know" Su said.

"Mom, I got married. I didn't win a Nobel Prize."

"I know, but take a compliment please. I know it wasn't easy for you growing up without your father but I'm so proud of what you've become and he would have been too."

"Mom, stop it, you're gonna make me cry!"

"Sorry love, but I had to say it at some point. I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too Mom" she replied holding her close.

X

An hour later, after seeing their parents out, they were down to a handful of guests who were still thoroughly enjoying the music and the bar.

"We can leave this lot to it can't we?" Audrey asked. "I doubt they'll cause too much trouble."

"That keen, eh?" Neil teased.

"Yes, yes I am. I want my hot new husband all to myself. Is that a problem?"

"Absolutely not. Please lead the way" as she took his hand and led him upstairs.


	29. Chapter 29

They couldn't go on honeymoon straight away, it wasn't booked until the following week. Because of the short notice of the wedding itself, other staff members were already on leave that week so for the meantime, they had to return to work. The only good thing about that was that Andrews had allowed them to synchronise their shifts a little so they could spend some more time together. Maybe he had a heart in there somewhere they joked.

They arrived Monday morning to congratulations being voiced from every direction. Thanking everyone as they passed by, they were relieved to reach the respite of their offices.

"I didn't realise we were so popular" Neil joked.

"You are, I'm Chief Ogre remember" she laughed.

"Very true" he agreed earning himself a clip. "But your my ogre, don't forget that" he said trying to save himself.

She smiled "You're cute when your flustered. Have a good day Dr Melendez, see you later" she said kissing him.

"You too, Dr Lim. See you for lunch maybe?"

"Maybe, see you later."

X

The day started out quite mundane. Neil had a scheduled bypass surgery to repair and replace valves for an elderly lady. Her family was supportive and the surgery considered a success. Neil was happy with her post-op recovery so far so he headed off to find Audrey for a late lunch.

He found her just finishing up a consult in the Emergency Room. She had diagnosed acute appendicitis and the teenager was being admitted for an appendectomy as soon as the paperwork was finished.

"Ready for lunch?" Neil asked.

"Absolutely, I'm starving" she replied finishing the chart and filing it at the nurses station.

As they turned to leave, they heard a commotion coming in through the main door.

"Somebody help him, please. He's gone blue, he's not breathing, help us!"

They turned to see a young couple running through the door with a small child in their arms. He looked no more than a few weeks old.

Their instincts took over and they got to work immediately. Taking the baby and setting him down gently on the nearest trolley, they started their assessment.

"He is breathing, very shallow breaths though, its cyanosis. His blood isn't getting enough oxygen. How old is he? What's his medical history?"

They fired questions at the couple in quick succession but they stood there like deer caught in headlights, not saying anything.

"Hey, hey!" Audrey shouted at them, clicking her fingers to get their attention. "What's going on? Focus!"

They startled and began to speak. "He's seven weeks old, his name is James. He's been fine until today."

"Have his post natal checks been ok?"

They looked at each other "We haven't had any, they are too expensive and we don't have coverage. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Ok, calm down" Neil said. "We'll treat him and figure this out."

"Thank you, thank you so much" the mother sobbed.

X

Hours later, lunch break abandoned, they had a diagnosis of an atrial septum defect. The baby had a hole in his heart and due to lack of pre and post natal care it hadn't been picked up. They handed the case off to the pediatric surgery team to take it the rest if the way. The parents headed to the waiting room and Neil and Audrey headed to the locker rooms to get ready to go home.

In the men's locker room, Neil ran into Shaun. He congratulated him on the save of the baby but Neil could tell he had something else to say.

"What is it Dr Murphy, you are desperate to ask me something? What do you want to know?"

"You and Dr Lim got married on Saturday didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Why is she still being called Dr Lim? Shouldn't she now be Dr Melendez too?"

Rubbing his temples he tried to think of an answer that would stop follow up questions after such a long day.

"She is Mrs. Melendez, but we decided she'd stay Dr Lim at the hospital to avoid confusion of there being two of us. If Dr Melendez is needed, I'll show up. Make sense?"

"Very sensible choice Dr Melendez. Thank you."

"No problem Dr Murphy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Dr Melendez."

Audrey was waiting for him outside the locker room checking her emails on her phone "You took your time" she said.

"Sorry, was explaining the whole Dr Lim / Mrs Melendez thing to Shaun before he burst with curiosity."

"Was wondering how long it'd take him" she said with a smile. She was proud of how much Shaun had learned over the last couple of years. His social skills and awareness were improving all the time.

"So, seeing our lunch date was a bust, want to get dinner?" Neil asked.

"Yes please, and drinks after today."

"Let's go then, your chariot awaits" he said and dressed in their civvies, they headed out.

X

Towards the end of the week, Audrey was handing over the open surgical cases to Dr Andrews for him to oversee for the duration of their vacation. She was very pleased to see Baby James was recovering well from his surgery and no further intervention was needed. They were expecting him to make a full recovery.

She left the hospital that evening with a skip in her step. 'Hawaii, here we come' she thought. They were due to fly out tomorrow, but due to their busy week, they hadn't finished packing. That was planned for tonight.

"Hi honey, I'm home" she called as she walked through the entrance hall.

"Hey, up here" she heard a voice call from upstairs.

She kicked off her shoes and trotted upstairs to find him. He was in the guest room with two cases set on the bed casually throwing items in as he walked back and forth from the master bedroom.

"Don't go packing too much" she quipped. "I'm not intending on wearing much over the next ten days!"

He stopped with his mouth fallen open "Who are you and what have you done with Audrey Lim" he teased.

"Audrey Melendez to you!"

"Sorry, it'll take a bit of getting used to" he said with a grimace.

"That's ok, by the end of our honeymoon, I'll have you saying it over and over again" she said with a soft smile. 


	30. Chapter 30

Their flight to Hawaii was uneventful, just as they hoped. They landed in Honolulu and got their connection for their first few days of relaxation on Lanai.

Advertised as a blissful escape, they were booked at the Four Seasons. After check in, where they received beautiful orchid lai, they headed to their room, the porter would follow along with the bags.

"Wow, this is fancy" Audrey whispered as they waited for the elevator.

"I knew it would be nice, but this is something else" Neil agreed.

Their room was beautiful. As they entered, the first thing that caught their eye was the view overlooking the impossibly blue sea, they could see for miles. There was a bottle of complimentary champagne waiting for them which was perfectly chilled and a platter of fresh fruit. The enormous bed dominated the room and was decorated romantically which made them smile.

"Those rose petals are going to get everywhere" she teased.

"Let's see, shall we as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and kissed her. They were interrupted by a tap on the door. Their bags had arrived, they tipped the porter and got back to exploring their room. The bathroom was luxurious, the decor indulgent and the large spa tub looked very inviting

Neil walked over and popped the cork on the champagne, pouring a glass each and put a piece of fresh mango in his mouth. Audrey lay stretched starfish style across the bed with her eyes closed. He looked over and smiled, thinking to himself how beautiful she was. She cleared her throat to get his attention.

"I'm not a museum piece, your allowed to touch you know" she teased propping herself on her elbows.

With a smile, he placed his glass on the side and strolled casually to the foot of the bed, looking her in the eyes the whole time. He picked up her foot, untied her lace and slipped off her sneaker and flung it over his shoulder making her laugh out loud. He mirrored the process on the other foot and gently tugged on the cuffs of her trousers. She loosened the waistband and lifted her hips allowing him to pull them down her long, slender legs.

The look on his face was making her insides melt, his gaze so intense that she couldn't hold it and she dropped her head back as he began to kiss her starting at her ankles.

She could swear that he kissed every centimeter of skin as he worked his way upwards. When he reached the hem of her shirt, he began to undo the buttons, kissing the newly exposed skin as he went. By the time he reached her neck, she was a boneless puddle. She opened her eyes as he stopped kissing and found his nose an inch away from hers.

"Hi" she whispered.

"Hey" he replied. "You ok?"

"More than ok" she replied with a slow smile.

He smiled and she groaned as he lifted himself off her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm think I'm overdressed" he replied with a smile as he started to remove his clothes.

She could only nod in response. He crawled back up the bed towards her, removing the last few items of clothing as they melted together as one.

As they lay there afterwards, Audrey began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Neil asked.

"Rose petals, stuck. We should shower" she said laughing. "Come on, then we can explore."

"If we must" he groaned as she took his hand and dragged him to the bathroom.

X

Fresh and dressed after their shower, they headed out into the hotel grounds. The entire place looked like a tropical garden with lush greenery and brightly coloured flowers. They planned on a blissful few days together here and looking around, that was going to be easy.

They passed by Nobu and made a reservation for the next night and decided tonight, they would order room service and eat on the deck in front of their room. They strolled around finding pools and secluded areas amongst the greenery and found themselves on the beach. The soft white sand felt amazing beneath their feet as they walked the shoreline. Another dinner on the beach at sunset was pencilled in.

Dinner in their room was more than delicious. They decided on a local fish dish which tasted divine. They sat out on their deck for hours afterwards, just chatting away about everything and nothing.

Checking her watch, Audrey noticed that time was getting on. They had plans tomorrow to hike along to Sweetheart Rock so she wanted to be fresh and ready to go from breakfast.

"Come on, bedtime" she said getting up and holding out her hand.

"Not again!" he laughed as he feigned despair.

"No way old man, you need your rest for tomorrow" she teased.

"Old man! I don't think so" he replied laughing.

"Come on and prove it then" she said over her shoulder as she headed inside.

X

Next morning at the breakfast buffet, Neil couldn't believe how much Audrey managed to put away. As they were leaving he asked "did you just eat a five course breakfast?"

"Yeah, and proud of it too. I need the energy for today, come on let's go" she replied walking ahead with a skip in her step.

They headed out along the beach to find the spot. "Apparently, this is where ancient Hawaii's Romeo and Juliet pledged their eternal love to each other" she told him as they took in the view.

"I can see why, it's beautiful" he said looking at her.

She looked at him and laughed. "That way" she said turning his head away.

"Yeah, yeah, that view is beautiful too" he said putting his arms around her shoulders and kissing her.

They hung out on the beautiful beach for the rest of the day reading a bit, dozing and cooling off in the sea every now and then. They decided that tomorrow, they would get a couple of snorkels and masks so they could take a good look at the underwater life. Their time passed more quickly than they would have liked and it was time to freshen up to head for dinner.

As expected, the food at Nobu was amazing. Neil opted for the teriyaki glazed short ribs and Audrey, the grilled venison. Both of them devoured their dinner and sat back to relax. There was entertainment in the hotel later that evening and they deliberated whether they would attend.

They decided against it and headed back to the privacy of their room. They spent so much of their lives in the company of others, they truly savored their time alone together.

"You doing ok with all this relaxing?" Neil asked later that evening.

"Yeah? Why do you ask?" Audrey replied.

"Just checking. I know just doing nothing isn't normally your thing."

"We're not doing nothing, we're hanging out and loving each others company. That's more than enough for me."

"I love you Aud."

"I love you too."

X

Their last day on Lanai arrived quickly and they intended in making the most of it. They spent the earlier part of the morning snorkelling in Hulopoe Bay and marvelled at the bright colours in the perfectly clear water.

Neil insisted that lunch was going to be a surprise. He had arranged an excursion few hours driving a 4x4 around the island. The resort had helped him organise the vehicle and had given them an amazing picnic lunch.

"This is amazing, thank you" she said smiling as they hared it around the rugged terrain.

"Your welcome" he replied.

Dinner on their last night was at a secluded table at the edge of the beach. As they had every other night so far, they thoroughly enjoyed and finished every morsel. They sat under a blanket of stars listening to the gently crashing waves thinking that life couldn't get much better.

"Let's head back, early start tomorrow" Audrey suggested.

"Yeah, heading to Big Island for some adventure" he replied.

"And plenty of other fun" she said with a wink.

"Always up for fun" he laughed taking her hand as they walked back to their room.


	31. Chapter 31

Their ferry transfer back Big Island was bittersweet. They'd had an amazing time on the peaceful escape of Lanai and were sorry to leave. Despite that, they were looking forward to getting involved in the more active side of island life.

They had stuck with the Four Seasons for that luxury feel and were heading to Hualalai Resort for the next 5 days. Check in was quick and they were heading up to explore their room. Audrey stopped on the way at an information point and picked up brochures on some island activities.

They had booked a room on the lower level with wonderful ocean views. There was the staple large, comfortable looking bed, a beautifully furnished living area and a nice space to sit outside to take in the sunsets.

"Look at this" Audrey called.

"Where are you?" Neil called back.

"Out past the bathroom, come see this."

He strolled through and found her outside thoroughly checking out the outdoor lava rock shower.

"This could be fun" she said raising her eyebrows.

"I'm sure we'll enjoy that" he said with a smile.

While they were out at the shower the porter delivered their bags to the room and left them in peace. Audrey picked up the brochures she had collected and took his hand.

"Come on, let's see what mischief we can get up to!"

Over the next hour or so, with help from the mini bar they'd roughly planned their next few days. They were going to have dinner at the base of Mauna Kea and then do some stargazing, they would take a trip and hike at Volcanoes National Park where they would see active lava flows. Audrey also wanted to hire a bike and do some exploring of their own. Lastly, they fancied a guided moonlight dip in Kauna'oa Bay, with massive manta rays floating around you while you snorkel by.

Heading down for dinner, they spoke with the concierge about making the arrangements they needed. She was very helpful and Neil made a mental note to give a generous tip once everything was sorted.

They spent the rest of their day exploring the resort. They stopped at a wonderful, quiet palm lined pool for a cool down and decided where to go for dinner.

"I swear we've spent most of this trip eating" Neil joked as they headed out to Hualalai Grille.

"Well why not" Audrey teased. "You're stuck with me now so I can let myself go a bit" she said laughing.

They ordered the seafood platter which came piled high with Madai Snapper, Kauai Shrimp, Kona Cold Lobster, King Crab and Fried Rice. They pushed the boat out and ordered a dessert when Audrey saw the pineapple upside-down cake being delivered to a nearby table.

Finishing up with a nightcap of a nice 12 year Glenfiddich, they headed back toward their room. They stopped in a couple of the poolside bars on the way and were getting rather merry by the time they got to their door.

Audrey fumbled with the lock while Neil nibbled at her neck causing a distraction. They fell in through the door and stumbled towards the bed.

"I'll be right back" Neil said as he gestured towards the bathroom.

"I'll be waiting" she replied seductively.

He was back in less than two minutes, stood at the end of the bed with a smile on his face. Audrey was fast asleep, starting to snore. He gently removed her shoes and placed a light blanket over her to keep off the cool breeze of the air conditioning.

He headed to the minibar and poured himself a bourbon. Swirling it in the glass, he sat back on a nearby chair and looked at her sleeping form.

'I'm the luckiest man alive' he thought to himself, letting out a quiet chuckle as she let out a little snore.

X

Next morning, Audrey woke a little disorientated. She was still in her clothes from the night before, no shoes but tucked under a blanket. She gingerly lifted her head with a groan and saw Neil sat at the table outside with a coffee.

She shuffled outside and sat down heavily.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Just one to many, that's all. You tried to take advantage of me and I had to fight you off. I slept on the sofa" he teased.

She gave him an incredulous look which earned her a loud laugh. "Really?!"

"Nah, the one to many bit is true but you just fell asleep. It's been a busy few days, I forgive you" he said with a wink.

"Gonna help me eat some of this before we head out" he asked lifting the lid on the tray.

Her hand flew to her mouth and she mumbled "no thanks" as she dashed off to the bathroom.

He followed her a couple of minutes later, wanting to check and see she was ok. She was sat on the edge of the tub brushing her teeth.

"All ok?"

"Much better" she smiled. "Hope you didn't eat it all, I'm starving."

"Left you some crumbs don't worry" he smiled.

X

They were heading out the National Park today to check out the active volcano fields. The trip was quite awe inspiring and the amazing contrast between the white sands and the black volcanic rock made for spectacular scenes. The guide finished his tour and they had some time to explore by themselves. Walking hand in hand they took in the views, chatting as they went and Audrey laughing at Neil's attempt at a chat-up line referring to her as 'hot stuff'.

"Are you comparing me to a volcano?" She asked mocking offense.

"No, no, no" he replied. "I'm just saying that they could be considered hot headed, full of gas and of course, absolutely beautiful" he said with a wide grin.

"Harsh, but fair" she said with a laugh. "Lucky I am so understanding."

"Absolutely!"

X

The rest of their honeymoon seemed to fly by and before they knew it, they were throwing things back in their cases ready to leave the next day.

"I can't believe we go home tomorrow" Audrey sighed putting her head on Neil's shoulder.

"It's flown by" he agreed. "Best vacation I've ever had though, hands down" he said kissing the top of her head.

"I wonder if there'll be any drama to deal with at the hospital when we get back?" Audrey thought out loud.

"Ah, ah, aaahhh. No work talk remember. We've made it nine days, let's not start now."

"But..."

"No buts."

"But..."

"Nope" he said decisively, kissing her to stop her taking. "None of that. We need a distraction."

They looked at each other with a grin and got to their feet.

"Outside shower" they said simultaneously as they left a trail of clothes behind them. 


	32. Chapter 32

They were back to work three days later with a bang. Neil had missed some prep for an urgent transplant and was busy catching up before the procedure took place this week. Audrey was straight into almost a full week of meetings and had a disciplinary on her desk which she was not looking forward to.

The first job was the handover. A long meeting with Dr Andrews to pass back open surgical cases and update on anything of concern from the previous 10 days.

One name was in the list which surprised her. Baby James had been transferred to medical services a week after his surgery but he remained in the hospital.

"What happened there" she asked Andrews.

"He recovered amazingly well from the surgery but his parents haven't been by for almost two weeks now. He's still admitted while they find a foster family to take him. He'll need follow up appointments and such so it's not a simple placement I'm afraid."

Audrey was stunned. Andrews could tell this news had bothered her greatly so called a break to get a coffee and some fresh air.

She didn't go to get a coffee, she headed up to the pediatric ward and asked if she could see James. After assuring the staff that there wasn't a problem, they took her to his crib.

He lay there, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and content. His wound had healed very well indeed and the nurse updated her fully on his case.

"Thank you" she said. "Would it be ok to come and visit again" she asked.

"Of course, Dr Lim. He does need a lot of attention when he's awake so we'd appreciate that."

She headed back towards the offices to conclude her meeting with Andrews, taking a detour past the restrooms to splash some cold water on her face. Looking up from the sink, she made eye contact with Dr Browne as she came out of a cubicle.

"Are you ok Dr Lim?"

"Yes Dr Browne, thank you" she replied wiping her hands. "Just freshening up" she said as she excused herself.

X

As Neil finished for the day, he headed to Audreys office to check on how long she was going to be. It was empty. Her computer was off and her cell sat on the desk next to her keys.

"Excuse me Marisa" he said to Andrews Secretary. "Have you seen Dr Lim?"

"Up on pediatrics" she replied looking up. "She's been back and forth a couple of times today."

"Thanks" he said as he set out to find her.

Just as Marisa said, he found Audrey in pediatrics. She was sat next to the crib with James in her arms giving him a bottle of formula.

He watched her from the doorway. He saw the look on her face as he made cooing noises in between gulps and sighed.

'It suits her' he thought as he watched her smile at him. A nurse appeared at his shoulder.

"She's a natural" she said to Neil. "And goodness knows we need the help" she smiled as she went on about her duties.

The movement caused Audrey to look up, straight in to his eyes. She gave a small smile as she put James up on her shoulder.

"Hey," he whispered as he squatted beside her.

"Hey," she replied. "His parents haven't been by in two weeks" she started.

"Poor boy" he says putting his hand gently on James back. "They'll find him somewhere soon, don't worry."

"How could they just leave, he's so beautiful."

Neil felt a shift in the mood. "Let's go home Aud, we're back here in 12 hours" he said.

"Sure, ok" she replied in a whisper. She laid the sleeping boy back in the crib and pulled up the side. "See you tomorrow" she said to the nurses at the station on the way out.

"Goodnight Dr Lim, thank you for your help. Goodnight Dr Melendez" they heard as they headed out the doors.

X

The mood that evening while they ate dinner was sullen and once they had cleared up, they sat in the family room watching some mindless show.

"We could take him" she said quietly.

"Pardon" he replied hitting the pause button.

"Baby James, we could take him couldn't we?"

"I don't think that's a good idea Aud" he replied softly.

"Why not? He's going to be fine physically but even if something else did happen, he couldn't have any one better looking after him" she said sharply.

"It's not that. Why would I have as problem with disabilities? You've met Gabi, yes?!" He was starting to frustrated.

"That's not what i meant and you know it" she said starting to raise her voice.

"What then" he barked. "If we did that, if we took him in, it would be foster care. It could take a year before he's officially ours. If anything changes in that time, are you honestly trying to tell me you could give him up? Give him back to his parents?"

"I don't know, I just feel awful that he's stuck there and there is nothing I can do" she replied tears appearing in her eyes.

"It's only been two weeks since they stopped visiting him. They have another five months before their rights are automatically terminated, they could show up next week as if nothing had happened and take him home" he said trying to keep a cool head.

"Why do you have to be so black and white on this. Why can't you think with your heart for once instead of being so bloody sensible all the time" she yelled.

"Why are you being so irrational. You always think with your heart, you need to think with your head for a change. Can't you see I'm trying to protect you?"

"I don't need protecting, thank you. I'm quite capable of making my own decisions."

"I didn't say that you weren't but it's not your decision to make alone. I'm just trying to look out for you. I couldn't stand it if you had your heart broken. That's what this would do, it'd break your heart Aud."

"Leave me alone" she sighed and sat back heavily.

"C'mon Aud."

"Leave me alone" she barked.

"Sure" he said. Her got up and took their glasses to the kitchen and pottered around. After a while, it was obvious she wasn't following so he headed back to the family room.

For the second time that day, he watched her from the door. This time her mood was at a polar opposite, her head was lolled back and she was staring at the ceiling.

"I'm heading up" he said quietly. "You coming?"

"Not right now" she replied flatly.

"Ok, see you in a bit" he said kissing her forehead "g'nite."

"Night" came the whispered response.


	33. Chapter 33

He woke alone the next morning. He had eventually nodded off in the early hours of the morning and had woken regularly to check if she was there. Audrey's side of the bed was cold and still perfectly made, it hadn't been slept in. He got up and checked the guest rooms and neither of those beds had been used either.

"Aud" he called as he headed downstairs "Audrey, you here?"

No reply. He checked the family room and a throw was bundled at the bottom of the sofa. She hadn't even come upstairs last night.

He walked through to the kitchen, the coffee pot was already on and next to it was a note.

'I've gone in early x'

He sighed and poured himself a cup looking at the note. 'What am I going to do?' he thought to himself.

X

Arriving at the hospital, he stopped at the coffee shop in the lobby. He guessed that Audrey hadn't had breakfast so picked up a couple of coffees and a muffin and made his way to the elevators.

Walking towards her office, he could already see that she wasn't there. He went in and left the muffin on her desk, turned on his heel and headed off to find her. He had a feeling he knew where she would be.

As he approached the nurses station he was greeted with a series of hushed 'good mornings' followed by the explanation that not everyone was awake just yet. He nodded his response and opened his mouth to ask after Dr Lim.

"She's giving James his breakfast" a nurse said before he could form the words.

"Thanks" he murmured as he took off to find her.

She was just where she had been last night, in the chair next to his crib. She was supporting James on her lap, chatting away quietly as he gazed up at her.

He approached quietly and caught her eye as he got nearer. She gave a small smile and as she shifted her focus to the cup in his hand, the smile widened.

"Hi" she said sheepishly, as though she had been caught out.

"Hi" he replied. "I figured you might need this" he said putting the cup on the locker next to her.

"Thanks" she said nodding. "I didn't sleep well last night. You know that's the first time we've slept apart when we didn't have too. It sucked."

"I missed you, I'm sorry we went to bed that way. The thought of you being so angry with me kept me up."

"I'm not angry with you" she said smiling at him. "Here, would you hold him while I get that coffee in me? He can't lie down yet, he's just finished his formula and needs winding."

He looked at her nervously. "Sure" he replied. "Pass him here" he said holding out his hand.

"He's smaller than Avery, you need to support his head" she said earning herself a look of 'really'.

"I've done this before, you know" he replied.

She stood to grab her cup and he sat, roles reversed. James sat on his thigh looking at him with a serious look.

"He prefers you" Neil joked.

"You'll grow on him, I'm sure" she replied.

"Aud" he began.

"I know, not here" she replied looking down.

Neil lifted James up onto his shoulder. His little eyes grew sharp looking at all the exciting new things he could see. The change in position  
helped him as he let out a solid burp in Neil's ear.

"Cheers kid, you burp like an old man."

Audrey smiled.

When she had finished her coffee, she took him back and put him in his crib.

"See you later, I've got to go to work" she said to him and he lay kicking his legs. "Be good."

Neil watched her, his heart felt heavy. He felt guilty for being such a hard ass on this one. They needed to talk more but this wasn't the time or place.

X

Their day was a mixture of scheduled surgeries, meetings and consults. It was a full day with no real chance to break for lunch.

Audrey passed by Neil's office after she packed up. He still had his head down filling in paperwork. She walked in and sat down opposite him.

"Gonna be long?"

"About an hour. Want a lift home? It rained heavy this afternoon, maybe best to leave the bike?"

"Sure, thanks. I'm done for the day so I was thinking I'd go visit James before I go."

"Aud..." he started with a warning tone.

"Sorry, I can't help it. I'm going upstairs, will you come find me when you're done?"

"Sure" he replied flatly.

X

He passed by the ward and waited at the nurses station while one of them went to call her. He felt awkward standing there but he was trying his hardest not to get attached to the boy. He already felt a tug on his heart strings this morning when he held him so was going to need to limit his contact with him. He could see why Audrey had fallen in love with him.

She eventually came out to meet him.

"Sorry, was finishing a story" she said.

"No worries" he replied. "Ready to go? Want to get dinner?" he asked. He knew she wouldn't want to talk about the situation in public so was stalling going home.

"Sure" she replied with a small smile. She knew exactly what he was doing.

X

They sat at the bar at their favourite diner while they waited for a booth. Their conversation was just casual chatter, both of then avoiding the topic of contention while they were in public.

A space came up, and they hopped down and headed over. Both of them sitting on the same side, as close as possible. They looked like they were cosying up on a date at the start of a relationship. Nobody could have guessed what they were trying to convey to each other without speaking, they sat that close to try and confirm to each other that they were really ok.

They finished their dinner and headed home. As they walked in the door, dropped their things and headed to the kitchen, Neil called "we need to talk some more."

"I know" she replied, "but not without coffee."

He shook his head and followed her through. She was just tinkering with the coffee machine so he took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Where should we start?"

"I dunno" she replied.

"Shall we promise to try and not get angry with each other?"

She nodded, so he continued.

"I think" he said taking a deep breath. "I think, the fact that we aren't pregnant yet is bothering you more than you realise."

She briefly looked shocked, then her shoulders slumped and she looked to the countertop.

He waited.

She looked up at him with tears brimming her eyes. His heart broke to see her like this and even more so to know his words caused it.

"You're right" she said with a whisper. She was to nervous to speak louder in case the tears wouldn't stop. "I didn't think it was bothering me until we got back from honeymoon and saw James. How those parents could have just left something so precious I'll never understand."

"What do you want to do?" Neil asked. "We could go see someone about it? Get ourselves checked out?"

"Is that ok?" Audrey asked.

He was up off his seat and had her in his arms before she realised what was happening.

"We'll do whatever we need to do" he said holding her tightly. "We'll get ourselves checked out, change diets, take drugs and check out other options. Whatever we need."

"What about James?" she asked pulling back and looking at him.

"I still don't think it's a good idea sorry Aud. Look at us. Just about admitting we might have a problem. I don't think I'm ready for the potential heartbreak if they took him away. Sorry if it sounds selfish."

"I'm sorry, I got too attached" she said scolding herself.

"It's hard not too, he's a cute kid. But look at us, we're not ready to be parents overnight. You ready to stop work for a few months? Drop everything?"

"I don't seem to be able to think rationally about this."

"I get it, I really do. I don't want to hurt you saying this stuff but I think it's for the best."

"I'm going to keep visiting him until he's discharged you know."

"I know, and I'll drop by to check in on you and bring you coffee" he smiled.

"Thank you" she whispered into his neck.

"I love you Aud."

"Love you too."

X

The day came about a week later. The news that they had found a foster home for James hit her like a tonne of bricks. She got a message one morning from a nurse to let her know he would be picked up that afternoon. She went straight to Neil, he looked up at her face and knew straight away why she was there. He stood and engulfed her in a hug while she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" she said through the tears. "I thought I was ready."

"You can never be ready, love" he replied. "Let's go say goodbye."

In a rare display of public affection at the hospital, they walked to pediatrics hand in hand. They helped the nurses pack up some of the bits and pieces they had brought him and Audrey paced around with him up on her shoulder whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

A couple appeared at the door accompanied by a hospital social worker. The foster parents.

Neil approached Audrey and quietly said "They're here."

She stopped, looked and sighed. It was time.

They walked up to her and the woman held out her hands. As James began to fuss, Audrey tensed but as she looked at Neil, the look on his face gave her the strength to hand him over.

The couple were lovely. During a brief chat, they disclosed their own family position that they had older children and now cared for younger children temporarily that had additional needs. He was a retired nurse and she was a substitute teacher, an ideal combination.

As they were ready to go, the lady asked "Would you like a picture?"

"Pardon?" Audrey asked.

"Would you like a photograph with him. He can have it to remember the wonderful people who cared for him so well. Many of the nurses have had one already."

"I don't think..." she started.

"Yes please" Neil said quickly.

She looked at him shocked as he walked to her side and held his hands out for James. The boy went willingly to him and he turned him to face outwards.

He pulled her into him and whispered in her ear. "We've been very lucky to have had something that makes saying goodbye so hard. We're doing the right thing" he assured her. "Try and smile for him."

With that, she did smile and the photograph was beautiful. Neil discreetly gave the new parents his card and asked for a copy. When the time was right, he would share it with Audrey. 


	34. Chapter 34

**Hi fbrennan **** glad to see you hanging in there. **

X

The week that followed James departure was tough for both of them. As Neil predicted, Audrey's heart was broken. She seemed to be going around her business as usual but the usual spring in her step and her cheekiness was missing. They went to work, came home, ate dinner and bed then started all over again.

Neil received the photograph from the foster parents a couple of days after James had left. He didn't quite know what to do with it right now so it was sat as a file on his desktop.

As their shifts at work started to fall out of synch the following week he wanted to be sure that Audrey would be ok with her own company. She needed something to fill the time she was previously using on her visiting with James.

He stated tapping away on his laptop and printing off a few things he hoped would help.

A couple of days later, Audrey was arriving home after a day of meetings and Neil was due to head out an hour or so later. Dinner was ready as she arrived and she could smell the delicious aroma of the sauce as she walked in.

"I could get used to this" she teased him as she walked up behind him while he stirred a pot in the stove.

"I could be a kept man" he replied with a smile. "Go wash up, it's pretty much ready."

"Yessir" she said with a mock salute and turned to the sink.

As they sat down, she could see that Neil was getting a little agitated. Dinner was accompanied by idle chit chat but once they had finished he got up and got a file from his case which was casually hung off the back of one of the bar stools.

"I've got something I want you to look at" he started.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Ok" she said slowly.

He put the file in front of her. "Take a look at this while I'm at the hospital tonight" he said.

She opened it and started. "And this is what exactly?" she asked.

"I did a little bit of research the last couple of days. These are the best fertility clinics in the area. Nothing at the hospital, I figured you wouldn't want anyone knowing our business."

"You figured right" she replied.

"It's this ok? I wasn't sure exactly what to do to be honest."

"Yeah this is ok, this is good. Thank you. I'll take a look tonight."

"We'll be fine, you know."

"Yes we will, I know that for sure."

X

After Neil had left for his stint at the hospital, Audrey settled into the comfortable sofa in their family room. Drink in hand, she opened the folder and began to read. She looked back and forth through the pages over and over again until the words started to blur together.

When Neil came home the following morning, that was where he found her. Curled up under a throw, folder open on her lap and head lolled back snoring slightly.

He headed to the kitchen to set the coffee pot and went back to wake her.

"Morning sleeping beauty" he teased as he sat down next to her jostling her awake.

"What, hi, what" she stammered as she got her bearings.

"Hi" he said with a smile. "You ok? You slept here?"

"Yeah, I was reading this stuff and must have lost track of time."

"As long as it's just that."

"Yeah" she said yawning and stretching.

"Find anything interesting" he asked trying to be casual.

"Quite a bit actually. I read reviews, testimonials and found out stuff I didn't even know I had to think about."

"Good, I'm glad" he started.

"Hang on, I'm not done" she said. "We should pick somewhere close to work so if I..."

"We" he interrupted.

"If we" she smiled. "If we need to go back and forth it'll be easier."

"Sounds like we're good to go" he said leaning in for a kiss.

"I'll book us in somewhere for next week. We've got some time off together here and there" she replied as she kissed him back.

"Can't wait" he smiled as he kissed her again. "Just got to check something with you though?" he asked.

"Hhmmm" she mumbled.

"We still get to try the old fashioned way too right" he asked with a small smile and a rise of his eyebrows.

"Absolutely" she replied moving to straddle his lap. "Absolutely."

X

As Audrey was getting ready to leave upstairs, Neil sat at the breakfast bar reading through the folder he'd put together. He smiled at the scribbled notes she'd made in the margins.

'We'll get there' he thought smiling to himself.

"What you smiling at goofball" he heard as Audrey walked in looking for coffee.

"Nothing" he replied.

"Liar" she said with mock accusation.

"Yeap" he said smirking some more.

"Am I gonna have to resort to torture?" she joked.

"Yes please" he teased.

"Ok, bluff called! I've got to go but I'm hoping you'll still be smiling like that when I get home tonight."

"No doubt, love you Mrs Melendez."

"Love you back."

X

Seven days later they were sat in a waiting room with a number of other couples waiting to see the doctor that Audrey had chosen. The other couples were very obviously in different stages of their treatment and at least two were very obviously pregnant.

"I can't decide if this is good advertising or if it's a bit insensitive" she whispered in Neil's ear nodding towards one of the heavily pregnant ladies sat nearby.

He laughed out loud attracting a few looks from the other occupants and a smack on the arm from Audrey.

"Mr. and Mrs Melendez please" came the call.

"Saved by the bell" Neil muttered.

They sat down in the comfortable chairs opposite Dr. Churchill and started going through their history. They covered family health, sexual histories, and anything and everything that might have been of importance.

"How long have you been trying to conceive?" Dr. Churchill asked.

"We've been having unprotected sex for about a year" Audrey answered frankly.

"How regularly do you have intercourse" she asked.

"I'd say three times a week on average. Sometimes more, sometimes less depends on our shifts at work" she replied.

"Right ok. Audrey we'd like to do some scans and Neil, we will need a sample from you and we can get started" she said as she rose from her seat and shook their hands. "If you would like to stop at the desk just outside to get yourself situated. It's more discreet than the main reception."

They thanked her and took their leave.

"That was detailed" Neil said cringing slightly.

"It's not over yet" she reminded him. "Get ready. You get to see me in a way you've never seen before. And you get to wander off down there afterwards and enjoy yourself" she teased.

"Trust me, it'll be no fun without you" he smiled.

"Mr Melendez, are you trying to flirt with me" she said feigning shock. "At a doctor's office no less!"

"Erm, no, I didn't mean that. Um, you know what I meant" he replied in a fluster.

"Relax love, you're so easy to wind up."

An administrator came by, checked their details and directed them to where they needed to go.

An hour or so later, after being prodded, scanned and sampled they left the office and walked to the car to head home for the rest of the day.

"I feel violated" Audrey said with a smile but only half joking. It had been a brutal and intrusive few hours and they were looking forward to getting home.

"We'll have results next week and whatever they are, today will have been worth it" he replied as he leaned into kiss her as he opened her car door.

"No doubt love" she smiled. "And don't forget, Dr. Churchill said to carry on as we are so we've got that to look forward too."

"Well if it's doctors orders, I'm sure I'll manage" he laughed closing the door.


	35. Chapter 35

They carried on with their daily lives of home and hospital while waiting for a call from the clinic. That came along surprisingly quickly and there they were, sat in the same waiting room just over a week later.

The only appointment they could fit on together was technically 'after hours' and it was just the two of them in the waiting room. Both of them sat there, tense. Both thinking 'what if it's me?'

Neil startled out of his thoughts when Audrey rested her hand on his thigh.

"Penny for them" she smiled at him.

"Not worth that much" he smiled back as he lifted her hand to his lips.

"This is strange isn't it? Being sat on the other side of a diagnosis. We're usually the ones dishing out the information" she said putting her head on his shoulder.

"I hadn't thought of that" he replied. "I was wondering how they could be running late if we're the only ones here" he smiled raising a small giggle from Audrey.

"Mr and Mrs Melendez" came the call. "This way please."

They followed the worker down to the office where Dr Churchill was waiting.

"Neil, Audrey, good to see you again. Please take a seat" she said gesturing towards a small seating area.

"Thanks" they replied as they lowered themselves onto the comfortable sofa.

"Let's get started" she said to them with a smile. "All the tests we did seem to show a case of what we call unexplained fertility."

They looked at each other, unsure how to react.

Dr Churchill took the silence as her cue to continue. "All your hormones levels are within normal ranges, the scans and procedures on Audrey showed no obvious obstructions or issues and Neil, your levels are healthy too."

Audrey looked shocked. As they mentioned earlier, they had never been on this side of a diagnosis before and the realisation that they couldn't pinpoint something wrong was frustrating.

"Now I know how our patients feel when we say we don't know what's wrong" she said flatly.

"So what do we do?" Neil asked putting his hand on Audrey's leg and leaning forward.

Audrey gave a small smile. 'Look at him, he really wants this' she thought.

She took his hand and sat forward with him. "Yes, what are the next steps" she added trying to sound confident.

"There are lifestyle changes you can make which research has shown can help. They are all in this booklet but things like changes in diet, vitamin supplements and relaxation therapies are all solid starts."

"Looks like you'll have to come back to yoga with me" Neil teased.

"Never say never" she replied with a grimace. "What else?"

"We can try hormone stimulation drugs such as Clomiphene. That'll stimulate ovulation so you can time your activity better" she continued.

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Aud, can we think positive here!"

"Sorry, sorry" she said. "Please, carry on" she said, sitting back.

"If we need to, there are plenty more options available. IUI and IVF are available treatments which we can certainly perform here. We have many options."

"Ok, let's get started" Audrey said. "What do we need to do?"

The doctor ran through the specifics of the drug cycle and what they would need to do and how they would proceed.

They left with their prescription and headed to the car.

"Ready for this?" Audrey asked. "We should be able to start this stuff next week."

"Born ready" he smiled. "Particularly looking forward to day ten onwards" he said with a wink as he leaned forward to open the car door.

"I thought you were a gentleman Mr Melendez" she teased.

"I'll be anything you want me to be" he said before kissing her breathless.

X

Their hospital shifts coming up were not going to make this first cycle easy. They seemed to be working polar opposites as the time they needed to physically be together approached.

"How are we going to work around this sex thing?" Audrey asked one afternoon as they passed in their hallway.

"The sex thing?" Neil asked laughing. "Can I just say now, I don't think we should do it at the hospital."

"Heck no!" Audrey replied. "And no motels with hourly rates either" she joked.

"Seriously though, it didn't cross my mind that we'd have to schedule this part quite so much" he said with a small smile.

"Well just make sure your ready to perform your 'husbandly duties' when needed Mr Melendez" she said using air quotes.

"Any time, any place, anywhere" he replied with a smile.

X

The first cycle seemed to pass by at the speed of light and one morning they found themselves sat on the floor of their bathroom waiting.

"It's it time yet?" Audrey asked.

"It's literally been thirty seconds" Neil replied. "Patience."

"What about now?"

"Wait a minute" he laughed. He was glad that she didn't seem to stressed about this, just excited.

"Ok, our must be time now?"

He checked his watch and nodded. She reached up to the sink and picked up the little stick and his heart broke a little as a flash of disappointment crossed her face.

"Ding, ding" she said with a sad smile. "Ready for round two."

"As long as it takes" he replied embracing her tightly. Despite her casual comment, he knew she was disappointed. So was he.

X

Another cycle passed by and they sat in the same place, waiting. No idle chat this time and when the time came to look, Neil checked the small screen.

She could tell straight away that it wasn't the result they wanted. His shoulders slumped.

"Third times a charm" he said as she leaned into him.

"I'll call the clinic and let them know" she said eventually.

"I can do that" he replied.

"I want to do it" she said getting up. "I need five minutes though ok?"

"Sure, I'll go make some coffee." He replied.

"Decaf please" she reminded him. "This ain't over yet, you know" she said with a smile.


	36. Chapter 36

At the end of the third unsuccessful cycle, they had an appointment booked at the clinic to start looking at other options. The initial step would be to double the dose of fertility drugs for another couple of cycles then they spent the remainder of the appointment discussing the stats of IUI vs. IVF. Dr Churchill gave them a bunch of literature to take home and read through before they came to a decision.

"I never expected this to be easy, but I didn't realise it would be quite this difficult" Neil said on his way back to the car.

"I know" she agreed. "Maybe it would have been better if they had diagnosed something as opposed to it being 'unexplained' issues."

"True" he agreed. "At least if you know what's wrong you can take steps to fix it" he said with a sigh.

"Let's go for dinner tonight" she said. "Let's go out, eat crap and have fun."

"I like the sound of that" he said. "It's a date."

X

That evening they headed to their favourite restaurant, ate their favourite dinner and danced until the early hours of the morning. They didn't talk doctors appointments, or baby talk the whole time.

As the night went on, they had a few more drinks and were very merry by the time they stumbled through the front door around 2am.

She tried to concentrate and lock the front door, but all she could feel was his assault on her neck and his hands wandering, finding the gaps in her clothing and removing layers as he went. He pinned her against the wall in the hall, and it was his turn to groan as she started to pull at his belt.

He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist so they were touching in all the right places. His head dropped to her shoulder as they joined and their coupling was hot and frantic.

They collapsed to the floor in a heap afterwards smiling at each other like idiots.

"That was hot" Audrey said trying to catch her breath. "I forgot just how good we were at this."

He grinned at her. "Please don't think I'm not enjoying the scheduled sex. But that was something else. We need to do more of that!"

"I absolutely agree" she replied. "I'm too old to be sleeping here though, let's go to bed."

"Lead the way" he said as he got to his feet, pulling her up with him.

X

Next morning, they woke groaning at the light flooding their bedroom. She put her cold feet on his legs to encourage him to get up and pull the drapes.

"Cruel woman" he mumbled.

"Put the coffee on while your up, love" she said pulling the comforter right around her. "Decaf remember. Back on the wagon today" she smiled.

"Yes ma'am" he said with a mock salute as he pulled on some pants and headed downstairs.

He set the pot to go and stood flicking the pages of the literature they had been given yesterday. He sighed, it was turning into quite the journey.

With two mugs of steaming coffee, he made his way to the stairs grinning to himself as he saw their jackets still on the floor where they were thrown last night.

Audrey was still tucked under the blankets as he returned with the drinks. She peeped out and looked at his smiling face.

"What's made you this happy?"

"You" he replied. "Last night."

She smiled back. "It was definitely fun. We should do it more."

"Which part?" He asked feigning innocence.

"All of it, but especially the last part" she replied.

"I'm sure we can figure something out."

X

A few weeks went by and they were due at the clinic for Audrey to get some routine blood tests. They were leaving directly from the hospital and Audrey was stood waiting for Neil in the lobby and pacing back and forth. He was late.

She called his cell, there was no reply, same with his office line. She sighed and marched to the elevators and hit the button for the surgical floor. She knew exactly where he was going to be.

He was in OR2, getting stressed about the time passing but trying his hardest to stay focused. He sensed her watching from the gallery above, he looked up at her and shrugged. She could see in his eyes how sorry he was so she smiled back down at him and waved that she would go.

She headed out via his office and left him a note. Her picked it up an hour later and smiled as he read it. 'It's just blood tests, I'll be fine by myself. See you at home x'

She just about arrived in time for her appointment. And before she could even sit, she heard her name being called. She followed the nurse along the corridor, and was directed into a small room where her bloods were taken.

After a short wait in the seating area, she was called into see Dr Churchill and run through the results. They were looking to see that she was actually ovulating when she was meant to be and checking her hormone levels and having a quick chat about the next steps.

She left the appointment with a spring in her step. The results showed everything she needed to know.

X

"All go ok today" Neil asked. "So sorry I missed it."

"Absolutely fine. It was just routine, don't worry about it. Not like you could have just left in the middle of a surgery" she said smiling.

"I won't be missing another one don't worry. We're in this together remember" he said.

""I know, it was just blood tests and a new prescription. Nothing I couldn't handle" she replied.

X

They were scheduled to be off together that weekend and were looking forward to spending a couple of days together

He stood by the stove cooking breakfast as Audrey sat at the breakfast bar. She was still deliberating how to bring up a subject that had been nagging at her all week. And then, the perfect opportunity presented itself.

Neil asked "How do you want your eggs this morning Aud?"

"Over hard would be great please" she said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Apparently pregnant women shouldn't eat eggs with runny yolks."

"No worries" he replied casually. Then he stopped. "Pardon?"

"What?"

"Say that again, about the eggs."

"Over hard please"

"Why"

"Because pregnant women shouldn't eat..."

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. He dropped the egg he was holding, covered the space between them in two strides and swept her up in his arms kissing her senseless. 


	37. Chapter 37

**Hi all! Just a little note to let you know I'll give the prequel thing a bash. My issue is, I know absolutely nothing about the education/training for surgeons so will have to do some reading etc. before I start. Please bear with me and wish me luck!**

X

After taking the eggs off the heat and throwing the ruined pan in the sink, he sat back down next to her at the breakfast bar. He was in shock and the questions came thick and fast.

"When did you find out? How far along? You feeling ok?" he blurted out in quick succession not giving her any time to actually answer.

She just sat and smiled at him until he was finished.

"Ready?" she asked him. He checked himself and smiled right back.

"Sorry" he said sheepishly. "I should probably let you answer."

"I'm about 4 weeks along Dr Churchill said. I found out at the appointment for bloods earlier this week. I was trying to figure out some kind of big reveal for you, but couldn't wait anymore" she said a bit shyly.

He took her hands. "That casual announcement was the best" he said with a goofy grin still plastered on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" she replied. "I'm excited and nervous all wrapped up together! It's a bit early to start feeling sick but fingers crossed I'll get away with it. "

"It is very early isn't it. We're keeping it quiet for now, yes? Neil asked, already knowing the answer.

"Gosh, yes" she replied. "Waaaaaaay to early to tell anyone."

"I kinda like that's it's our little secret for now" he said getting up to make some fresh breakfast. "Still want eggs?" he asked.

"No thanks, hard eggs are a waste" she replied with a laugh. "Toast will be fine."

X

They stuck to their originally plan of visiting Gabi for lunch but their evening plans changed. Their original plan of going dancing was put on pause for their new plan of staying in and talking about how much their lives were going to change.

"So do you need to do anything differently" Neil asked. "Workwise I mean?"

"I should probably tell Andrews for Health and Safety reasons but apart from that we aren't obliged to tell anyone."

"What about Murphy?" Neil asked.

"What about Shaun?"

"He'll know something is different even when you carry on as normal" he said with a smile.

"You're probably right. He'll see I'm walking differently, or holding myself differently even when I think I'm not" she said with a sigh. "Maybe we should tell him and make sure he knows how important it is to keep it quiet."

"Probably the best option" Neil agreed. "We'll tell him tomorrow after we've seen Andrews."

For the rest of the weekend, the conversation seemed to drift back to the fact that Audrey was pregnant. One conversation that started about the plants in their garden, ended with them discussing how they would baby proof despite that being over a year away.

Sunday evening came around and Neil noticed Audrey getting gradually more quiet. Ashe didn't seem interested in conversation anymore so he bit the bullet.

"What's wrong?" he asked. As she opened her mouth to say 'nothing' he jumped back in.

"Don't say nothing, I know there's something" he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"What if" she started. "What if we tell people about the baby and then something happens. You know, something bad?"

"You can't think like that" he replied. "How many times do you tell patients to keep a positive mental attitude? Looks like you're hoping to have to follow your own advice Dr Lim" he said pulling her to him.

"And your right, again" she replied. "Does it get boring being right all the time."

"It does not" he replied in matter of fact with a smile.

X

Getting ready to leave for work on the Monday, Audrey was quicker to get ready than usual.

"Can I get a lift today?" she asked.

"Sure" he replied. "It's a beautiful day though, no bike?"

"I think I'll give the bike a miss for a while, you know, just to be careful."

"I can't say I'm disappointed" he replied as he handed her a coffee. "I'm just glad I didn't have to suggest it" he teased.

They arrived an hour later and headed straight to Andrews office to try and catch him before the day started. He was just arriving and hanging up his jacket as he gestured for then to come in and take a seat.

"How can I help you both today" he asked in his usual, slightly condescending style.

They looked at each other, Neil nodded and Audrey took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant" she blurted out.

He looked back and forth between them both and his face broke into a wide smile.

"That's wonderful news" he said. "How far along are you?"

"Just four weeks so we'd appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself for now. We just wanted to let you know for health and safety reasons, you know."

"Absolutely, nobody will learn it from me. I appreciate you letting me know and trusting me with this. Thank you" he said.

"You'll be needing time for appointments together I'm assuming. Don't worry about running it past me, I trust you to make sound judgements regarding that" he continued.

"Thank you Dr Andrews" Neil replied.

"Yes, thank you" added Audrey.

They stood and headed towards the door and just as they were about to leave he spoke again.

"I'm truly happy for you both, this is a blessing. Congratulations."

"Thanks" they replied in unison.

As the door closed behind them. Dr Andrews sat down heavily in his chair. The conversation had brought some buried feelings back to the surface. He looked at the photograph on his desk, smiled and picked up the phone to call his wife.

X

"That went better than I thought" Audrey said as the elevator doors closed.

"It did" Neil agreed. "Was quite unexpected."

"And now for the tricky one" she teased. "Shaun should be here by now, let's go find him."

They ran into Shaun as he emerged from the changing room to start his shift.

"Can we have a word Dr Murphy" Neil asked.

"Of course" he replied. "Is there something wrong?"

Audrey placed her hand on Neil's arm and gave a look that said 'let me take it from here'. He was happy to oblige.

"Shaun, can we talk in private please?" Audrey asked directing them to an empty exam room.

"Is there something you need help with?" Shaun started.

"Yes please" Audrey replied. "We need you to keep a secret for us please. It's very important."

Shaun considered this request in silence whilst looking at them critically.

"Dr Lim is pregnant" he announced. "She is standing slightly differently and Dr Melendez, you looked at her stomach when Dr Lim mentioned a secret. Also," he continued, "you just look... different."

"Told you" Neil said smiling. "Didn't take him long."

Audrey continued to hold Shaun's attention and continued speaking.

"It's very, very early days so we would like to not say anything to anybody until we are ready to announce it. Is that ok?"

"It is Dr Lim. I will not tell anybody about your good news. Am I required to give you a hug?" he replied. Audrey shook her head with a smile. "I should go now, I'm late" he said as he turned on his heel and walked out.

They stood there a little while, just shoulder to shoulder with their hands touching.

"It was actually nice to share that with someone" Audrey said smiling.

"It was" Neil agreed. "You watch, time will fly by and we'll be screening calls from our mothers in no time" he teased.

"Can't wait" she smiled.


	38. Chapter 38

Their first big challenge came around three weeks later. Audrey was getting dressed for work while Neil was downstairs getting coffee and sorting breakfast. He gave her a call to say come eat but got no response. He climbed the stairs and as he walked into the bedroom, she was coming out of the bathroom brushing her hair.

"There you are" he exclaimed.

"Where else would I be" she replied with a laugh.

"I called you for breakfast, guess you didn't hear me in there" he smiled as he approached her and took her into his embrace.

With her arms draped loosely around his shoulders, they leaned in for a kiss. As their lips were millimetres apart, it happened. Audrey turned tail and scurried back into the bathroom. Neil stood for a moment, then followed.

"You ok?" he asked as he found her on the floor next to the toilet.

"I think so" she replied. "If I'd had breakfast already, then I would have just lost it" she said with a grimace.

"Can you stand? Maybe you should try eat something, come on" he said holding out his hands.

She pulled herself up and as he dropped a light kiss onto her lips, she felt her stomach roll again.

"Let's go" she said shakily.

After the little bathroom detour, breakfast would have to be on the go. Audrey got her jacket and bag ready and Neil handed her some toast. She took a big bite and gave a satisfied sigh and Neil gave a laugh.

"I've never seen anyone so happy to eat toast."

"Thank you" she smiled as she passed him his jacket. "Ready?"

"Always" he replied, heading out front to open her car door.

She locked up and followed behind and as she went to get in the car, she gave him the usual kiss. Her hand flew to her mouth and she turned her head, afraid she would lose the small amount of breakfast she had eaten.

"It's the coffee " she said once she felt confident to remove her hand.

"What is?" he asked, looking concerned.

"The coffee. The taste of coffee is turning my stomach" she groaned. "This is not good."

"Just the taste" he asked. "We can fix that, don't worry."

"Let me see" she said taking his coffee cup. She moved the lid to one side and gave a sniff. That was not the best idea, she sat down heavily. "It's the smell too" admitted disappointedly.

"Oh crap" he replied. He took their cups and placed them back by the front door. "They can stay there for now" he said with an apologetic smile.

"This could be a problem" she said as they pulled off the drive and started their journey to work. "How am I even going to get past the lobby without losing my stomach" she said flatly.

"We'll figure something out, don't worry."

Pulling up in the hospital parking lot, they parked in their usual space. Instead of going through the main lobby, they took an alternative entrance to avoid the heady morning aroma of the coffee shop.

"This is why we told Dr Murphy" Neil smiled as they made it to their offices unscathed. "He'll notice this kind of thing."

"Absolutely" she replied. "We'll tell everyone we're trying to get more steps in our day. See if they buy it" she said smiling.

"I'm sure nobody will notice" he agreed. He dropped a kiss on her lips and smiled as there was no negative reaction. He took advantage and did it again. "See you later, have a good day" he said as he headed out the door.

"Bye love" she replied.

For the next few weeks, they carried on using the alternative entrance. They brought their to-go cups from home every shift, but filled with a bland, odourless tea and carried on as usual. Then one afternoon, Audrey was passing through the lobby late afternoon. It was quieter after the lunchtime rush had passed and as she walked by the coffee counter she braced as she expected her stomach to roll.

It didn't come.

She stopped for a moment. She dared to take a deep breath and an enormous smile graced her face. Nothing, no reaction.

She excitedly queued, purchased two large decaf coffees and almost skipped to the elevator.

She burst into Neil's office breaking his concentration, making him curse.

"What's going on, you ok?" he asked with a worried look.

"It is" she said bouncing on her toes. "I got you a coffee. Drink it."

"Okay" he said with a confused look on his face. He took a sip and sighed. He had missed that taste.

"Bit more" she encouraged.

He was happy to oblige and took a longer drink. She smiled widely and took his confused face in her hands. She kissed him, a long, slightly inappropriate kiss for work.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's going on?" Neil asked.

"It's gone" she replied excitedly. "The sickness has passed. Coffee is back on the menu."

"Second best news I've ever had" he said laughing and kissing her again.

X

Neils earlier observation was right, as usual, and the time just flew by. Soon enough they were sat back waiting at the clinic for their first scheduled sonogram. They'd had one to confirm the pregnancy early on but this time around, they were excited that they would be able to see so much more.

They sat tucked away in a corner waiting patiently to be seen. It was as busy as usual so they kept any conversations hushed.

"Are you ok? Audrey asked.

He startled slightly away the whisper in his ear. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You're just quiet" she replied. "Are you nervous?"

He looked down at his hands but stayed silent.

"It's ok to be nervous you know. I certainly am" she continued. "I know I shouldn't have but I've looked into what today is all about and it's made me a thousand times worse than I was."

He looked up and as their eyes met, he smiled. "What did I tell you woman" he laughed. "You're going to be the biggest pain in the ass patient ever aren't you?"

"Pretty much" she agreed. "You'll have to be the perfect patient for both of us" she said nudging his side.

The call eventually came "Mr and Mrs Melendez."

They took a deep breath and got up hand in hand to head to the exam room.

"If you would like to hop up on here please" asked the technician gesturing towards the bed.

Neil held out his hand to help Audrey. She lay back and got herself comfortable and Neil stood right by her side.

"If you could lift your shirt for me" she asked. "Thank you" she continued as Audrey obliged. "I'm just going to put this gel here, it'll be a little cold. Are you ready?"

"As we'll ever be" replied Neil talking Audreys hand. "We can get pictures today right?"

"Absolutely" she replied. The technician moved the wand slowly over her stomach, pressing gently and tapping on her keyboard with her other hand.

They both looked at the screen and there it was. The black and white blur on the monitor in front of them stilled as the sonographer snapped an image and turned the screen towards them.

Her words were just background noise as they stared, just looked at the screen. Neil glanced down at his wife, lifted her hand to his lips and held it there. She startled slightly at the movement and looked back up at him. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at the form on the screen.

"You ok?" she whispered.

"Yeah" he replied quietly. "That's amazing. You're amazing" he continued.

The technician snapped them out of their trance. "That's all the measurements done, if you wanted to clean up a bit and head back to the waiting area? The doctor will call you in to go over things."

"Thank you" they replied together.

X

After a short wait, they were called in to see Dr Churchill.

"Congratulations" she said with a smile. "You have a healthy, viable pregnancy going on in there."

Neil and Audrey let out the breath they didn't realise they were holding.

"All the measurements are great and we estimate your due date as 7th May."

Those words made everything that more real. Six months time their lives would change for ever.

"We will monitor you, of course but your prenatal care can follow the normal route. You are technically classed as a 'geriatric mother'" she said using air quotes.

Neil actually snorted at this comment, to his and Audrey's surprise. She gave him a look, he composed himself and they turned their attention back to Dr Churchill.

"But as long as you take care of yourself then it's like any other pregnancy. I'll see you third week of December for your anomaly scan unless you need anything in between" she finished.

"Thank you so much" Audrey said as she stood to leave and shook her hand.

"See you December" Neil said confidently.

They made their appointment for December 18th on the way out and strolled to the car. They sat for a moment in the parking lot just looking at the roll of black and white images.

"I can't believe we did that" Neil smiled. "We sharing the news now?"

Audrey looked serious. "Can we wait a little longer?"

"Sure, but why?"

"She called the next scan an 'anomaly scan', what if it picks something up?"

"You want to wait until then?"

"Yes please" she replied.

"Ok" he said, a little disappointed. "Your going to start to get a little bump you know."

"Yeah, but the weather is cooling down. I can wear bigger, looser tops."

"You've thought about this before today haven't you? I didn't realise it was bothering you. I'm sorry."

"A bit" she replied. "And you don't need to apologise, you're not a mind reader" she said taking his hand.

He smiled at her. A big, dimple making smile. "We'll do whatever you want" he said. "Whatever puts your mind at rest, you're the boss."

"Thank you" she replied. "I'll hold you to that, you know" she said with a wicked smile.

"What."

"I'm the boss" she said with a laugh.

"Was there ever any doubt" he said laughing. 


	39. Chapter 39

As Audrey arrived home one evening, she heard Neil finishing up a call with his Mom.

"Okay Mom I'll ask her when she gets in" he said to the screen in front of him. He glanced up at her as she waved on the way into the kitchen. "Yes Mom, I will. Speak to you later. Love you too."

He hung up and closed the cover on the tablet. Following her into the kitchen he walked up behind her as she stood at the counter. She had found that he had started preparing dinner but had obviously been distracted by the call so she picked up where he'd left off.

He stood close behind her and put his arms around her. His hands came to rest on her stomach and he whispered in her ear.

"How are you two today?"

Her hair was still up in a high bun from work and he was being very distracting, kissing her neck and mumbling how much he had missed her today.

She put down the knife, leaned back into him and let out a small moan.

"You are being a little bit irresistible" she smiled as she turned to face him. "You do know that hormones do crazy things to a woman in the second trimester. Maybe you should try and save yourself" she teased.

"I can take the pace, don't worry about me!" He smiled as he carried on kissing along her collarbone and started unbuttoning her shirt.

"What about dinner" she asked.

"Dessert first" he mumbled as he took her hand and led her to the sitting room.

X

They carried on preparing dinner wearing significantly less clothing than before. Audrey was now just in Neil's shirt prepping the salad and he was certainly appreciating the view of her long, slender legs.

"Crap" he exclaimed as he got caught on his bare chest by oil splatter from the pan he was meant to be watching.

"You ok" she asked. He nodded and smiled sheepishly as he'd been caught checking her out instead of cooking dinner. "What does your Mom want you to ask me?"

"Ah yeah, Thanksgiving? They've got visitors coming from San Antonio and were wondering if we'd like to join them?"

"We could" she said sounding sceptical.

"Buuuut"

"But how are we going to hide this by then. It's another six weeks away" she said pointing to her currently flat stomach. "I'm not going to be drinking alcohol or eating certain stuff. They'll notice for sure."

"How about we stay at the hotel we were in at the wedding. Tell them we haven't spent much time together recently?"

"I can be your designated driver while you have drinks with your family" she suggested.

"Perfect" he replied. "I'll let her know later."

X

After dinner, Audrey headed into the office to catch up on some paperwork while Neil called his Mom back. No Skype this time around, just a call. He was nervous that she would see him acting a little differently.

"Hey Mom."

"Hi Son, everything ok?"

"Sure, I talked to Audrey already and we're good for Thanksgiving. One slight change though" he suggested. He could hear the cogs whirring in his mother's brain.

"Nothing to worry about" he continued. "It's just, we haven't seen much of each other recently so we thought we'd stay at a hotel. You know, make a bit of trip of it."

"Ah, I see" she replied with a knowing tone. Before he could leap in to defend himself further she carried on talking.

"You two need some privacy to get working on that grandchild of mine" she teased.

He felt his heart lurch and the relief washed over him. "Exactly" he said cringing at his own words.

"Say no more" his Mom replied.

"Gladly" he agreed smiling to himself. "We'll come on the Wednesday and head back Friday morning if that's ok?"

"Absolutely, we'll be looking forward to it" she replied. "Love you Son."

"Love you Mom, bye."

He hung up the phone and groaned inwardly. His mom now thought they were heading up early for a dirty weekend away. He needed to let Audrey know he laughed to himself.

He sat a while longer and booked the room ready for their trip, adding on a couple of optional extras as he went. He was going to have to make this look realistic and it never hurt to spoil your wife, he thought.

X

They had no plans for the next few weeks and trying to find a balance between work and home life continued. One week they were able to arrive and leave together daily, the next they were like ships passing in the night. They would see each other briefly in passing as their shifts swapped over and if they were lucky, they'd grab an hour for lunch.

There was no news around the hospital about the pregnancy. Dr Andrews and Dr Murphy were both true to their word and aside from subtle checks on her, neither mentioned a word about it.

Audrey had met with Andrews to discuss her schedule and her subtle withdrawal from the front line of the Emergency Room. She would begin to focus on the administration aspect of her role.

It certainly wasn't what she had intended when she took the post almost two years ago and she had worked very hard to maintain a balance. But a recent incident where she narrowly avoided being struck in the stomach by a drunk had made her nervous and her safety was now priority.

She discussed it with Neil at length, she had concerns that she was side-lining herself. But with his reassurance that it was a sensible idea and there was no reason she couldn't go back to it, she decided it would be for the best.

She would continue to perform surgeries but would stay out of the emergency room as much as possible. Neil would admit, after her meeting, that he was relieved that she had come to the decision and especially relieved that he hadn't needed to broach the subject himself.

With those changes made, they found they were actually seeing more of each other and the following five weeks and six days passed by in the blink of an eye.

They were stood at the side of their bed, throwing things into a small case to head out in the morning. As Audrey turned to the closet and stretched to reach something, she heard Neil take a sharp intake of breath.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Absolutely nothing" he replied as he walked around the bed towards her. "Look" he said as he turned her side to the mirror and lifted her shirt. "That's come from nowhere" he said caressing her gently.

She smiled at her new outline. There it was, without a doubt, Audrey Lim was having a baby, and there was the bump to prove it.


	40. Chapter 40

They arrived at the hotel early afternoon. Check in this time around was less rushed, there were no crazy relatives to try and avoid and they casually walked to the elevator hand in hand.

Neil put down their bag, reached forward and pressed the button for the top floor. Audrey looked over at him as he continued to look directly ahead with a small smile on his face.

The doors pinged open, they exited and walked along the corridor to their door. Audrey put in the key card and the lock clicked open. She walked in and stopped abruptly in the doorway.

"What's all this about?" she asked, turning to face him.

"What?" he replied feigning innocence. He kissed her casually and walked into the room, letting the door slam behind him.

"This isn't like the room we stayed in last time" she stated, looking around.

"It isn't" he agreed smiling at her. "Figured you deserved a treat and if we're making a trip of it, it's gotta look realistic hasn't it" he said.

"Thank you" she said as she went right up to him and kissed him back. "Thank you."

Their room this time was more of a suite. They originally entered into a nice, spacious sitting area with a nice, comfortable looking sofa. There was a coffee machine on the sideboard with a large choice of flavours and the mini bar was well stocked.

The bathroom was sleek and modern. There was a large tub which would easily fit two people which looked very inviting. The shower was spacious and had large rainfall showerheads. There were large, fluffy white robes hanging up on the back of the door. Audrey looked over to Neil and said "I'm thinking we'll spend the rest of the day in those."

"No objections here" he replied.

There were double doors off the living space which led through to the bedroom. Audrey gave a low whistle of appreciation as she followed him through to find a large, luxurious looking bed.

"We could sleep all night without even touching" she whispered in his ear.

"Where's the fun in that" he laughed, grabbing her around the waist and pushing her gently to sit on the edge. He knelt in front of her and unlaced her sneakers.

"You don't have to so that yet, you know. I can still reach my toes at the moment" she laughed.

"I know" he replied. "I'm just getting in some practice" he said smiling up at her.

She put her hands either side of his face and leaned down to kiss him.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

X

The robes were indeed as cosy as they looked and once they had unpacked the necessities from their case, they spent the rest of the day in them. They sat wrapped up in blankets and each other on the balcony drinking coffee and decided dinner would be room service. Getting dressed again seemed like a waste of time.

Audrey was sipping at her decaf and browsing through a hotel brochure and let out a little laugh.

"What's tickled you?"

"You can book a couple's massage in your room here. They just bring up portable beds. Why would I want someone else rubbing their hands all over you" she laughed looking over at him but his face was deadpan.

"I guess I'd better call and cancel then" he said flatly putting his cup on the table and making to get up.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Audrey exclaimed. "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. It'd be great."

This time our was Neils turn to laugh.

"Wow! Seems you can dish out the teasing, but you can't take it" he chuckled. "I'd never book you something like that, I know you'd hate every minute."

"You asshat!"

He laughed even more at this outburst.

"There is a pool though, maybe we could take a dip in the morning?"

"Now that sounds good" she smiled.

X

Next morning, they woke slowly, stretching into the extra space of the gigantic bed.

"We need to get one of these" Audrey groaned.

"Not sure we need one this big" Neil replied. "I think I'd miss you."

"We'll need a bigger bed one day, once this one decides she's going to be climbing in with us" she laughed gently rubbing her stomach.

"She?"

"I've got a feeling"

"You know it's 50/50 right" he said smiling as he rolled up onto his elbow and looked down at her. She looked beautiful first thing in the morning with her hair spread across the pillow in contrast to the bright, white covers.

He put his hand on top of hers and leaned down to kiss her.

"But if she turns out anything like you, I'll be the happiest man alive" he said. Audrey's eyes brimmed with tears.

"You ok?" Neil asked, concerned.

"Absolutely fine. That was just really nice" she said. "I've no idea why I'm almost crying about it though" she said smiling softly. He shuffled closer and drew her into a tight embrace. She sniffled into his shoulder and he could feel her staring to smile.

"Thank you" she whispered in his ear.

"Any time. Feeling up to checking out this pool?" he asked.

"Definitely" she replied.

Gathering their things, they headed downstairs, stopping at the reception to collect some towels. They went separately into the locker rooms and Neil was changed first.

The pool was empty and as she exited poolside, she took a moment to stand and appreciate his form as he floated on his back, eyes closed. 'That beautiful man is all mine' she thought. His toned arms which held her so tightly, his strong chest where she loved just lying and listening to his heartbeat and those legs. She loved those legs tangled with hers and smiled at the thought.

"This isn't a spectator sport" he called snapping her back to reality. These hormones are starting to play havoc, she thought smiling to herself.

She lowered herself into the warm water and let our a groan.

"This is like a bath, it's lovely" she said closing her eyes and pushing up to float on her back. He watched her as she floated away from him and smiled to himself. He loved looking at her before she was pregnant, but the subtle changes that were happening to her body were amazing.

While she was in her swimsuit, he could easily see and appreciate her cute little bump. To anyone else, it was still at the stage where you could pass it off as a big breakfast but that wouldn't be the case for much longer. He could only imagine her getting more beautiful as time went on.

X

They floated around for half an hour or so and thought it was about time to go shower and change. They had 90 minutes until Sofia was expecting them and both of them hated being late.

Neil held out his hand for Audrey to have some balance getting out of the water. She kept hold and walked right up to him, nose to nose.

"Don't bother showering here" she told him, kissing him. "We'll share one back at the room" she suggested with a smile.

"No arguments from me, wife" he replied. "You're the boss remember!"

Stood under their shower soon after, their chests still heaving from the exertion, Audrey groaned and closed her eyes as Neil gently rinsed the soap from her hair.

"Who needs couples massages" she teased opening one eye.

He laughed out loud and turned off the shower. He cracked the door and grabbed the closest towel, wrapping it around Audrey and she headed off to get dressed.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and stood brushing his teeth as she burst back into the bathroom.

"It's too tight! The top I brought is to tight" she exclaimed with as panicked look.

"Let me see" he replied following her out into the bedroom. She pulled the button down blouse back on and she was right. The bottom button was not done up comfortably.

"Well luckily we hardly wore our clothes yesterday. That top fitted just fine. Can you put thay back on?"

"Is it smart enough" she asked with a worried look.

"Your about to go to Thanksgiving with my family, not royalty. You look great" he said reassuringly.

They carried on getting dressed in a bit odd a hurry. Neil chose a more casual collared t-shirt instead of the smart shirt he had packed. They grabbed their jackets and headed to the door.

"Remember now, top secret" she said pointing to her stomach.

"My lips are sealed" he laughed. "Let's go Team Melendez!" 


	41. Chapter 41

**Prequel is a work in progress - second chapter incoming! **

Dressed more casually than they expected, Neil and Audrey drove over to his parents house.

"You ok?" he asked glancing over.

"I'm a little nervous" she admitted. "Feels like the first visit all over again."

"You know, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they did find out so don't stress too much. It's not good for you" he said trying to assure her.

"I know, but I can't tell your folks before I tell my own Mom can I?"

"True" he replied. "We'll do our best. You can do a wonderful job being my designated driver and I'll try not to drink too much beer" he said laughing.

They pulled up on the drive and sat for a minute in silence preparing themselves for the chaos until they saw the front door open. Ben gave a wave from the doorstep, Neil raised his hand in reply and they got out of the car.

"Thought you two weren't going to come in" he teased as they took the steps.

He hugged Neil, clapping him on the back and opened his arms again for Audrey to walk into his embrace.

"It's been too long since we've seen you both" he said smiling. "Everyone is very excited that you guys were able to come. Especially Sofia, I'll apologise in advance for that" he laughed.

"Definitely" she agreed. "It's fine, we've been looking forward too."

They followed Ben through to the kitchen where all the noise was coming from.

"Audrey!"

She smiled and walked into another hug from Sofia. "You look amazing" she said taking her face in her hands. "We've missed your beautiful face."

"Missed you too" she smiled back.

"Hey Mom!" laughed Neil. "I came too."

"Ah I know son, but you're old news. The family have met you already" she smiled as she took Audrey's hand and led her into the sitting room.

"Good luck" he mouthed as she looked back over her shoulder.

X

An hour later Neil was still nursing his first beer, stood in the kitchen with his father, uncle and cousins as they discussed the latest Giants game. Audrey appeared at his side, kissed him on the cheek and headed outside.

He watched her go for a moment, put his bottle down and followed her out. She was sat on a small chair on the deck and smiled as he approached.

"You ok?" he asked looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a bit warm all of a sudden. Needed some fresh air" she replied, smiling. "I'm fine, honest" she continued as he stared at her.

"Ok, if you're sure" he said sitting on the seat next to her. "But I'll wait here with you a few minutes, just in case."

She rolled her eyes and laughed away his response.

A few minutes later they went back into the kitchen and stood chatting to the family. Sofia appeared in the doorway soon after looking for Audrey.

"Are you ok?" she asked looking concerned.

"I'm fine" Audrey replied. "Just got a bit warm in there."

"Lots of people in there, we'll crack open some windows. Do you want a glass of wine, there is some in the fridge ready."

"Um, no thanks" she said glancing at Neil. "New health kick for me. I've totally ditched alcohol and trying to cut down on burritos too" she said with a small laugh.

Sofia seemed happy at that and offered a diet soda which Audrey gratefully accepted. Neil started another beer and smiled widely as she passed by him back into the sitting room.

X

Dinner was served at a single large table. It was decorated beautifully and settings were adorned with place cards that Gabi had made at her group home.

"These are great Gabi" Neil said as they sat for dinner. "We should have had you do the cards for the wedding" which earned him a big grin from his sister.

They passed around the dishes, loading up their plates. A few items Audrey passed straight over which did not go unnoticed.

"Don't tell me the health kick is on food too" laughed Abuela. "You're allowed one day off surely" she asked.

"Ah, why not" she replied spooning some of the forbidden item on to her plate. During dinner, she moved it around her plate a little to try and disguise the fact that she wasn't actually eating it. A move that went unnoticed by most.

After dinner was cleared away, Neil and Audrey both tried to chip in with the dish washing. They were shooed away quickly and sent in the direction if the family room where they were tuning into the football.

As they passed through the hall, Audrey grabbed his hand. Stopping suddenly, he turned thinking there was something wrong. She pulled him close and kissed him deeply.

"I've been wanting to do that for hours" she smiled against his lips.

"Happy to oblige you now ma'am" he chuckled as he kissed her again.

They heard a sudden squeak as Gabi walked into the hall looking to use the bathroom.

"Gabi, you ok?!" Sofia called from the kitchen.

"Yeah Mom. Neil and Audrey were kissing in the hall. They made me jump" she called innocently.

They could both feel themselves turning red as they stepped back from each other.

"Sorry Gabi, didn't mean to startle you" Neil said quietly as Audrey headed into the family room. "You ok?"

"I'm fine, I just jumped" she laughed as she walked past.

They both took their seats on the comfortable sofas and Sofia brought in a tray of drinks. A chorus of 'thank you' was made for the beers and sodas and they settled in to watch the game.

After the game finished, Gabi and her attendant left for the group home. It had been a long day and she wad looking forward to some sleep. The more local family members headed home too leaving the out of town relatives, Neil and Audrey behind.

Neil stood out on the front deck, leaning against the railing looking at the lights around the neighbourhood. He took a long draw from his beer and put the empty bottle by his feet.

"One more for the road Son?" Ben asked as he joined him.

"Sure, thanks Dad" he replied, twisting off the cap.

They stood in comfortable silence for a while, sipping their beers and just watching cars pass by. The silence was broken by Ben as he moved a little closer.

"How far along is she?" he asked.

Neil didn't reply but just grinned as he took another sip. "I plead the fifth" he smiled. "I promised I wouldn't say."

"Well technically you still haven't" Ben replied. "It's it to soon to go public?"

"For us, yes. Three more weeks" he confirmed. "How did you know. I thought we did a good job."

"Oh you both did a fine job but the were a few little things. No alcohol? That was believable but she skipped stuffing at dinner. Nobody does that!"

"Really? " Neil asked, a little put out. "That's all it took?"

"Not quite" Ben continued. "You two have always been quite touchy feely but today was something else. You treated her like she was made of glass. Just how I treated your mother when she was carrying you" he said wistfully.

"Don't say anything will you Dad?"

"You have my word. I won't even mention it to Audrey" he laughed.

"Thanks Dad, she'd kill me if she thinks I told you" he laughed. "Do you think Mom knows?"

"Gosh, no" he replied with certainty. "You would know if your mother suspected. She's been so busy today that I think we could have let off rockets in the kitchen and she wouldn't have noticed. She's going to be delighted for you."

"I know, it's terrifying" Neil admitted quietly. "Mom finding out, and actually having a baby!"

They both jumped as the front door opened suddenly and Audrey appeared.

"The you two are" she exclaimed from the doorway. "You ready to head back?"

"Absolutely" he nodded as he turned to follow her inside. He stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.

His father pulled him into a tight hug and whispered "Congratulations Son" as they headed back inside.


	42. Chapter 42

The roads were quiet for their drive back to the hotel and they made good time. It had been a busy day and both of them were looking forward to a rest. The journey had been quiet. Neil glanced over at Audrey who seemed content while he was feeling rather agitated but was trying hard not to show it.

They held hands all the way to their suite where Audrey only let go to unlock the door. As the door clicked shut, she turned on her heel to look him straight in the eye.

"Spill" she demanded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why'd you think that?"

"I think I know you by now Melendez. Something is definitely up with you" she smiled as she prodded him in the chest. She moved closer as if to kiss him and as his eyes fluttered closed, he felt her suddenly move away.

"Hey, what gives? Come here" he laughed as he made to grab her hand again.

"None of that business until you tell me what's wrong" she said with a wicked smile standing just out of reach. "I'm going to run a bath and relax while you decide if you want to share."

She turned and headed into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar and he could heard her turning on the taps to fill the enormous tub.

He sat and waited trying to decide how to word his confession. The taps stopped and he imagined her removing her clothes and sinking into the warm bubbles and groaned to himself.

He sat a little longer, arguing with himself then gave in. He lightly knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked apprehensively.

She lay there a moment before replying. She wasn't angry with him, just frustrated that he wasn't sharing. He was always so considerate in encouraging her to share her feelings that she was rightly put out.

"Sure" she called and smiled as he took a seat on the closed lavatory.

"So" he started. "I need to tell you something."

"Ya think" she replied sarcastically.

He smiled, took a deep breath and continued.

"My dad knows about the baby" he blurted out. "I'm sorry. I really am, but he guessed and I couldn't deny it. He could tell by my face, I didn't even need to say anything. He promised not to say anything until we're ready. I'm so sorry" he said, finally looking over at her.

She was smiling at him.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked.

"I figured he knew something, you two were being weird out on the porch" she smiled. "Was it so hard to tell me?" she asked looking amused.

"I didn't want to piss you off" he replied smiling. "I learned a long time ago not to piss off Audrey Lim!"

"Very true" she laughed. "So, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to join me in here?" she asked giving him a look.

He didn't need to be asked twice, he was on his feet, stripping as he walked towards the tub and got in to the lovely warm water. He sank back into the bubbles opposite her and just looked, smiling.

"How much beer did you have" she teased.

"Just enough" he laughed. He sat up and pulled her over to him. She sat between his open legs and leaned back onto his chest. He gasped at the sensation and shuffled to get more comfortable.

She turned her head and looked up, just as he looked down so he claimed his kiss from earlier. As the kiss deepened, Audrey moaned spurring him on further. Their hands roamed, slipping easily over their wet bodies and they drove each other to the brink.

They topped up the water once, but when it got cold the second time they made to get out. Neil first, who turned and held a big fluffy robe for her to walk right in to. He wrapped her up before drying himself and following her out to the bedroom.

Audrey lay there with her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. He crawled up next to her, propped himself on his elbow and kissed her.

"You ok? he asked.

"Hhmmpph" came the reply.

"Tired are we?"

Another "hhmmpph" came with a tired smile.

"Night Aud."

"Night love."

X

The weeks that followed Thanksgiving passed quickly. They had decorated the house for Christmas and Audrey had been teased relentlessly by Neil about how the place was going to look like a grotto if she carried on. He soon stopped when she threatened him with matching pyjamas if he didn't back off.

They were so busy at the hospital that they didn't notice their appointment creep up on them and before they realised, it was sonogram day again.

After checking in with Andrews when they booked the appointment, they were both free for the whole morning and went to the doctors office together from home.

They were sat in the familiar waiting room again and Audrey was nervous. She couldn't help picking at her nails so Neil reached over and took her hands to try and calm her.

He leaned into whisper reassurance to her, to see if she could calm a little before they where called.

Trying to think of something to say, he asked "Do you want to know if it's a boy or girl?"

She stopped fidgeting and looked at him.

"I've been so focused on other stuff, I haven't thought about that" she said sounding disappointed. "What do you want to do?"

"I'd like to wait and see when it gets here" Neil said. "Reckon that'd be ok?"

"I suppose" she replied a little flatly. "Why don't you want to know?"

"It's not that I don't want to, I just think it'd be more fun to wait and see. How many real surprises do you get in life?"

"You know it's going to be one or the other don't you" she teased. "You're a doctor you should know this stuff!"

"Funny, you're hysterical Aud" he laughed, happy he'd distracted her for as while.

The familiar call came again.

"Mr and Mrs Melendez."

Neil stood and held out his hand. "Come on. Let's go see our kid" he says smiling down at her.

She took his hand and they walked to the examination room and she got up in the bed without further instruction.

The sonographer gently lifted her shirt and made small talk as she prepared. Eventually she turned with the bottle of gel.

"Ready? she asked. They both nodded and she applied the gel liberally.

"Nice full bladder there Mrs Melendez, well done" she smiled as she moved the wand around pressing gently.

As the sonographer continued to move the wand, recording images and taking measurements and eventually she stilled. She turned the screen and the is was, filling the image.

Audrey gasped and Neil squeezed her hand tightly.

"It's grown so much" she whispered.

He had no words, he stood stoically squeezing her hands unable to speak.

"You ok?" she asked him and he just nodded at her with a glassy eyed smile.

He stayed quiet while they finished up and walked back to the waiting area to be called by Dr Churchill. They sat hand in hand just waiting.

"You're making me more nervous than before, you know" she told him, giving him a nudge.

"Sorry" he smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to. I just can't quite believe what's in there" he said moving his hand to her stomach.

"I get it" she replied putting her hand on his. "I didn't realise I'd love it so much already."

"Mr and Mrs Melendez, Dr Churchill is ready for you" announced the receptionist.

"Here we go" Audrey smiled.

They sat opposite Dr Churchill listening intently to the results. As she confirmed that all measurements were within limits and the baby was developing normally they both started to smile widely and relax into their seats.

"With the technical bits out of the way, we have one more piece of business. Do you want to know the sex?" Dr Churchill asked.

Neil glanced at Audrey and smiled when he heard "No thanks, we'd like a surprise."

"Wonderful" she replied. "Well, good luck with the remaining weeks and be sure to let us know when baby gets here."

"Sure" Audrey replied.

"Thanks" said Neil as they stood and shook her hand.

X

"So are we going to keep referring to baby as 'it'" Audrey asked him as they walked back to the car.

"Mi Mundo" Neil replied.

"Pardon" said Audrey with a confused frown.

"Mi Mundo, My World. That's what you are, both of you" he replied casually as they walked along.

Audrey stopped, he felt the pull on his hand and he turned to face her. This time around, she had no words. She took his face in her hands and kissed him until they needed to break for air.

"I love you Melendez" she said smiling.

"Love you too Melendez" he replied.


	43. Chapter 43

They spent the rest of the day in their happy little bubble, content with keeping their secret to themselves. After a late shift at the hospital for both of them, they stopped to pick up dinner on the way home.

"So" Neil began. "How are we going to tell our parents?"

"That's a great question. We need to figure out a way to tell them both at the same time" she replied. "Give me the day, I'll think of something."

"Make it good, my life is in your hands" he laughed. "Nowhere I'd rather be" he continued quickly after she shot him a look.

Once dinner was cleared away, Audrey picked up the tablet and started tapping and swiping with a look of concentration on her face.

"I've got it" she announced around fifteen minutes later. "Here" she said turning the screen. "What do you think?"

"That's amazing" he replied with a big smile. "They'll love it."

X

A week later was Christmas Day and both Neil and Audrey were due to work again. They woke up together at home and took their time exchanging gifts. They only purchased each other small bits and pieces and decided they'd treat themselves to a nice trip before the baby arrived.

When Neil originally suggested it, he used the term 'babymoon' which caused Audrey to choke on her coffee.

"What the heck is a babymoon?" she asked. "It sounds ridiculous!"

He explained that it involved taking a nice trip, just the two of them before baby arrived to relax and enjoy themselves before life got a little crazy. After hearing that, she wholeheartedly agreed that they would take a trip but Neil had to promise never to use the word babymoon again.

They were going to catch up with their parents on Skype before they headed into work that afternoon. Su was visiting with a relative in Seattle and Neil's parents were heading out soon to pick up Gabi for dinner. Neil and Audrey were sat comfortably and had a small stack of sonogram pictures piled on the table.

"Ready?" Neil asked.

"As I'll ever be" she replied with a grimace.

The call took a moment to connect but the they were, Su in one corner with Sofia and Ben in the other.

"Merry Christmas" they called almost in unison as the calls were picked up.

After a quick catch up and a round of thanking each other for gifts, it was time to get down to business.

"Mom, Sofia, do you have those packages we sent you over last minute?" Audrey asked.

"Yes, here's ours" Sofia confirmed.

"Here's mine" Su added holding it up.

"Now this is important, are you listening?" After hearing the affirmatives, she continued.

"They have to be opened the exact, same time, count of three ok? One... two... three."

There was the sound of rustling packaging and then silence. Neither party spoke.

Slowly, Su looked up with tears in her eyes and turned around a tiny bodysuit printed with 'Lao Lao'.

Sofia had a look of honest surprise on her face while Ben sat there smiling proudly. She held up their gift printed with 'Abi & Abu'.

"Really?" Sofia asked.

"Really Mom" Neil smiled. "Su, are you ok?"

She nodded. "How far along are you? How are you feeling Audrey?" she asked.

"I'm doing great Mom, feeling really well. We're on week 21 now so it'll be here in May" she smiled.

"21 weeks" Ben exclaimed. "I thought you guys were waiting for the first sonogram, not the second! Congratulations to you both."

"You knew?" Sofia asked suddenly.

"Not half as much as I thought I did" he laughed. "We'll talk about that later" he said to Sofia, pulling a face at the camera.

"So you didn't find out the gender?" Sofia asked.

"We're going to wait and see" Audrey confirmed which was met with a chorus of agreement.

They continued on the call for another ten minutes or so covering all the details that the parents needed to know, until Neil reminded them that they had to go to work today. And with the promise that they would email the photographs, they ended the call.

"That went well" Neil said. "Those gifts were inspired" he smiled.

"Of course" she replied smiling victoriously. "Did you expect anything less? Now, how are we going to break the news to the rest of the population?"

"Let's not" Neil said with a smile. "Just wear a top that's more fitting and let the rumour mill do its thing. Shaun will be so relieved he doesn't need to keep a secret anymore that he'll probably do most of it for us" he laughed.

"Great idea, I wasn't looking forward to actually 'announcing' it, not a fan of being the centre of attention" she smirked.

"As long as you remember, you're the centre of my attention aaaaalllllll the time" he smiled sweetly.

"I could get used to you kissing my hormonal ass, you know?"

"My pleasure" he said as he went in for a kiss.

X

They had an early lunch, and arrived at the hospital a couple of hours later. The attendings covering the morning were eager to get going so the shift handover was completed in record time in the conference room.

After the meeting, Audrey called the third year residents to her office to go over the finer details of the current cases.

Resnick, Browne, Park and Murphy took their seats on the sofas and waited patiently for Dr Lim to unpack her papers. She walked over to her coat hook, unzipped her jacket and hung it up. She looked down and smiled to herself and thought 'here goes nothing'.

As she turned to address the group, she was met by a chorus of gasps.

"Finally!" Shaun exclaimed. "That was the hardest secret I've ever kept."

"And you did a fine job" Audrey said with a smile.

Claire and Morgan stood to congratulate her and Park gave her a big hug apologising afterwards if he'd overstepped.

"This is wonderful news" Claire said smiling. "Explains a few things that have been going on" she teased.

"Like?" she asked.

"Mostly, your withdrawal from the ER" confirmed Shaun.

"And yours and Dr Melendez 'health kick'" Morgan laughed using air quotes. "I've never seen two people fitter than you two!"

"Well I'll be here for as long as I can, so don't go writing me off just yet. I'll be taking six months, then I'll be back full strength" she smiled.

She looked at her senior residents and smiled. They had shared a lot in the last few years and she considered them to be more than colleagues.

Once they'd finished with all their questions, Shaun piped up "Can we get back to the handover now, we have patients to see."

"Absolutely" Audrey smiled.


	44. Chapter 44

The next person on their list was Laura. Audrey had wanted to tell her best friend in person so they arranged a brunch a few days after Christmas.

They sat around a table in a quiet corner of Whispers Cafe and Audrey watched with a smile as Laura settled Avery into a booster seat. When she was content with some crayons and paper, Laura turned her attention back to her other brunch companion.

"Sorry about that" she puffed. "The first ten minutes are the worst, then she's ok" she smiled glancing over at Avery.

"That's fine, no need to apologise" she smiled. "Something I'm going to have to get used to myself" she said. She watched as a range of emotions crossed Laura's face from confusion to absolute joy when Audrey began to nod.

"Oh my gosh! Really?"

"Yes, really" Audrey laughed. "Here, look" she says as she passed over a little black and white photograph.

"That's amazing" Laura gushed. "Look Avery, here's your new best friend" holding the photograph just out of reach of her sticky fingers.

"I'm so happy for you" Laura said holding her friends hands across the table. "You feeling ok?"

"Fine now" she replied. "Bit of a shaky start when I had to ditch coffee but apart from that, great."

"Ah, that's such good news" Laura continued. Audrey got her all caught up on the details, she knew that Laura would understand any worries she was having after her own experiences.

The only bone of contention was the plans for a baby shower. "How am I meant to throw you a shower if you don't know the sex?" Laura argued.

"Maybe i don't want a shower" Audrey argued back. "Why celebrate being pregnant more than you'd celebrate gaining a degree or getting a huge promotion? It seems that my achievements are only celebrated when a man is involved? And besides, Neil played just as big a part in getting this bun in the oven, why doesn't he have to sit through one?"

Laura looked shocked at her outburst, she didn't quite know what to say. Audrey took in the look on her face and slouched slightly in her seat.

"I'm so sorry" she started. "That was rude. I'd blame it on hormones bit that is still no excuse. I'm sorry."

Laura slowly shook her head and gave a small smile. "You know there are a lot of people who will be so happy for you guys. People who have been waiting for this for a long time. I know how you feel about this cliché stuff, it's nothing new. We can leave the shower if you want but you need to prepare yourself for what's coming."

Audrey opened her mouth to speak but Laura held up her hand. "I'm not done" she said sternly. "There are people who care about you, and Neil and this baby. Give them the chance to show you how much."

She nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of it like that" she said reaching over the table to take her friends hand. "I trust you, Laura. But promise me, no silly games?"

"Deal" Laura smiled. "No silly games."

X

Neil was home when Laura dropped Audrey back at the house so they came in to say hi.

"Neeeee" Avery called as she came in to through the front door. "Where you?!"

"Hey short stuff," he said picking her up above his head while she squealed.

"Watch she doesn't give back her brunch with your spinning her around like that" Laura joked.

"Back in a minute" Audrey announced as she passed him giving him a kiss on the way.

"How'd it go?" Neil smirked, passing Laura a soda.

"Was wonderful, I'm so happy for you guys."

Neil smiled.

"Only one slight glitch" she continued.

"You didn't mention the 'S' word did you?" he asked.

Laura nodded and gave a little laugh.

"You're lucky you still have a head!" Neil laughed. "I mentioned it last week and I got a lecture on how traditions aren't rules."

"Sounds about right" Laura agreed.

"She didn't stop there. I was educated on the Taiwanese Sitting Month and how she couldn't possibly leave the house for a month if she had to follow all traditions."

Audrey returned to the room just in time to hear Neil finishing up his sentence "these hormones have a lot to answer for" he laughed as she approached.

"Not all bad though, eh lover" she whispered in his ear as she gave him a squeeze causing him to blush and choke on his soda.

"You have no shame woman" Laura said laughing at the interaction between them. "We'd best make a move, we're heading towards naptime and this angel will turn into a devil soon enough."

Audrey walked them to the door to say goodbye. They embraced and as they pulled apart Laura asked "May I?" putting her hand out.

"Sure" Audrey smiled. Laura placed her hand gently on the neat little bump and grinned at her friend.

"It's such a wild ride, Aud. You're going to love every minute. Need anything, just call. And I'll get started on the 'non- shower' plans."

"I'll look forward" Audrey replied earning herself a look. "Honestly, thank you" she said looking at her best friend. "I trust you."

"Good. Take care, I love you."

"Love you too."

X

They sat in the family room last that evening. their feet up and legs tangled . Audrey was watching some re-run of an old Sci-fi while Neil was glancing through an article in the Journal for Cardiothoracic Surgery.

She paused the TV and sat up suddenly pulling his focus. She had a look on her face he couldn't quite figure out.

"You ok?" he asked looking at her a little confused.

"I'm fine" she whispered. "Give me your hand" she said pulling his hand towards her.

He shuffled to sit more upright as she placed his hand on her stomach.

"Did you feel that?" she asked. "Your kid is playing soccer in there tonight."

He shook his head so she put her hand on his and pressed a little. His eyes grew wide and the grin on his face even wider.

"That's amazing" he whispered. He leaned closer and kissed her, not moving his hands away for one moment.

"You're amazing" he said as they parted. He lowered his head to her stomach and dropped a kiss right there. Audrey gasped as baby gave another good kick that Neil could feel.

They settled back into the sofa but this time he held his journal with one hand. Audrey stretched out along the seats, putting her head in his thigh while he rested his other hand gently on her bump.

The TV show no longer had the same draw, she had something better to watch. Every time baby gave a good strong kick, she looked up at Neil. His face would break into the biggest smile while his eyes still followed the lines of the literature he was reading.

They stayed in that position for the rest of their evening, both of them thinking the exact same thing.

'How'd I end up so lucky.' 


	45. Chapter 45

**Heads up on another vacation for me sorry, I'll be offline for a week! Hwyl fawr!**

X

"Let's get planning this trip then" Neil announced as he bounced into the kitchen one sunny morning.

"Good morning to you too" Audrey smiled. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Just life" he smiled as he kissed her and grabbed a mug for his coffee.

"Are you going to be this horrifically sweet all the time now?" she mocked. "I'm sure it could be grounds for divorce!"

He ignored the dig and continued getting his breakfast together. He sat down next to Audrey with his fruit, cereal and coffee just smiled. "Where do you fancy going?" Neil asked. "Mexico?"

"Zika" she replied.

"Vegas?"

"With no cocktails, no thanks!" she exclaimed.

"Caribbean?"

"Too far" she countered.

"Come on, we're going somewhere for our..."

"Please, please, please don't use that stupid word! You'll be sleeping in the guest room for a week!"

He laughed out loud at that. "Where do you fancy?" he asked. "Anywhere you like?"

She stopped for a while and thought.

"How about Santa Barbara? I know it's not far, but we could drive down and make it a good trip of it?"

"Your wish is my command" he announced. He took his dishes to the sink and bounced back out the way he came. Audrey sat shaking her head with an amused smile on her face thinking 'this could be interesting'.

She didn't see him again for over an hour. The office door had been closed firmly behind him and she took this as a 'do not disturb'. When he eventually emerged, the beaming smile from this morning was still present.

"All done" he announced proudly as he walked behind her and put his arms around her to lean against the counter.

"Should I even bother asking?" she said, turning around to face him.

"Nope! It's going to be a surprise. I'll tell you we're going March 12th and that's it."

She just smiled and shook her head. "Fine by me" she replied kissing him soundly.

X

They had begun preparations at the hospital for their Chief of Surgery to be absent for six months after baby Melendez arrived. Audrey had intended to work as close to her due date as possible, leaving her more time to take off afterwards. Neil was entitled to six weeks at half pay which they could manage financially so they were both looking forwards.

Today's meeting with Andrews was to discuss her further withdrawal from the OR and her replacement. As her bump grew, Audrey realized that she wasn't going to be able to get up close to the operating table for very much longer. She was carrying very neatly but the baby was all up front, she was told regularly that she looked like there was a soccer ball up her shirt which Neil found very amusing.

They agreed that she would operate up until she was 30 weeks, then withdraw to a purely administrative role.

Then came the subject of her temporary replacement. She fully expected Andrews to take the role himself so couldn't help the look on her face when he announced he would be asking Dr Melendez to step up.

"It's that going to be a problem?" Andrews asked plainly.

"No, no, not at all" Audrey replied hoping she sounded sincere. "He is entitled to six weeks leave himself, you know?"

"I'm fully aware thank you Dr Lim. That won't be a problem, I'm sure."

"Are you going to tell him, or shall I?"

"I'd like to do it Dr Lim, it is my decision."

"Sure, of course. Sorry."

Andrews rose, signalling the end if this particular meeting. "I'll try and speak to Dr Melendez before the end if the day" he said as she turned to leave.

"Thank you Dr Andrews, that would helpful" she replied with a small smile.

As she walked back to her office, thoughts were racing through her mind. What if he didn't want to take his paternity leave anymore? What if he pushed to keep the position even after she came back? He wouldn't do that, would he?

The thoughts continued to bother her for the rest of her shift, she couldn't concentrate on the tasks she needed to get done. She had been trying to watch for Neil going to meet with Andrews but he hadn't passed by her office yet and her shift was coming to an end. Should she wait around? Should she head home?

After arguing with herself for a further ten minutes, she packed up her things and headed out. She waited for the elevator, rocking back and forth on her heels. She was a bundle of nervous energy. The ping of the doors jolted her back to reality and out stepped Neil.

"Hi" he smiled innocently. "You ok?" he asked stepping in to kiss her.

"Fine" she snapped causing him to take a step back. "I'm going home" she said, stating the obvious.

"Okay" he replied cautiously. "I've got to see Andrews for something and finish some paperwork so I'll be a couple of hours yet. Shall I pick up dinner?"

"Sure, whatever you like?" she replied as she pressed the call button again. The doors opened and she went get in but Neil put out his hand.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked gently.

"I'll be fine" she replied kissing him and stepping inside before the doors closed again.

Neil stood for a moment after the doors closed. He knew, without a doubt, that Audrey was not fine, his instinct was to follow her but this last minute meeting with Andrews must have been called for something important. He sighed and turned towards Andrews receptionist who directed him to go right in.

He knocked, waited for the reply and headed inside.

X

He left the meeting with a little more insight into Audrey's behaviour from earlier. He felt shocked initially, he too had assumed that Andrews would keep the position for himself.

He also felt frustrated that Audrey clearly had a problem with it. He decided to get dinner and head straight home, he was no longer in the mind-set for paperwork.

As he walked in the front door, he could hear her voice. She sounded agitated so he called out as not to startle her or intrude on a private conversation.

"I'm home" he called and received no reply. He walked through to the kitchen and she was sat at the breakfast bar talking to someone on Skype. He smiled over at her and she sent a half hearted attempt back.

The voice over Skype said "He's back early for a reason, you two need to talk."

He recognised the voice as their old friend Jo. She'd known both of them for over ten years but her and Audrey were close friends.

Audrey and Jo said their goodbyes with a farewell from Neil thrown in also. She put the tablet down and closed the cover.

"Want to eat first, or talk?" Neil started.

"Talk" she replied.

He waited, but she didn't say anything. Feeling brave, he began to speak.

"So Andrews asked me to cover your job. I thought he'd keep it himself if I'm honest."

The silence was deafening.

"I haven't accepted, I said I'd speak to you first" he continued, which earned a huff from Audrey.

"Say something Aud?"

"What do you want me to say? That I'll stay off longer so you can be the big man? That you can keep the job? Are you still going to take your leave?"

Neil looked at her in shock.

"I want you to do whatever is best for you. If you want to go back to work, go. If you want to stay off for years, do it. I'm not trying to steal your job!" Neil replied loudly. He was getting frustrated.

"But you wanted it two years ago?" She asked snarkily.

"And I can't change my mind? I've seen the more boring side of the job since you took over, and I can honestly say, I couldn't do that long term. It'd drive me crazy."

"And your leave?"

"I'm entitled to six weeks. Andrews actually sweetened the deal. If anything urgent comes up that needs attention, I go in but I can tag the time I've used on to the end. I won't miss a day."

Audrey went quiet again. Her head was pounding and she sat reading it in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Neil asked quietly putting his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the touch as if she'd received an electric shock.

"I need to think" she said picking up the car keys and heading to the front door.


	46. Chapter 46

He didn't go after her. As he heard the front door click shut, he got his cell and sent a quick text message.

'She's on her way to yours, could you let me know when she gets there please?'

'Sure thing' came the reply.

He paced around for twenty minutes trying to occupy himself, clearing up and sorting laundry. When his phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, he grabbed it and read 'she's here, she's upset but she's ok'

He sent a quick reply 'thanks, let me know if you need me.'

He was able to relax a little knowing that Audrey was safely at Laura's. He was hoping she could share with her the things she obviously felt she couldn't say to him and they could start to sort this whole mess out.

He put dinner in the fridge now it had cooled right down, they could have it tomorrow instead. He made himself some eggs and set about tidying the dishes in the kitchen.

X

Meanwhile, Audrey was pottering around a different kitchen while Laura put Avery to bed. She had arrived just before bath time which was a welcome distraction and gave her the time she needed to calm down. She had driven over whilst in a rage, which now that she had thought about it, she realised it had been a bad idea.

After Avery was down for the evening, they settled into the comfortable sofa with some music playing quietly in the background, each with a drink in hand. Soda for Audrey and a small wine for Laura.

They sat in silence for a short while until Laura broke the stalemate. "What on earth happened? Why were you so upset?" she asked her friend.

"He wants my job" Audrey stated plainly getting a confused look from Laura.

"Who? Andrews? What did the man say now?"

"No, not Andrews. Neil wants my job. He was offered it to cover my maternity and he's thinking about accepting it."

"Why is that a problem? He'd do a good job wouldn't he? You wouldn't have to clean up any messes when you got back?"

"That is the problem" Audrey continued. "What if they don't want me back afterwards?"

"I don't think it works that way Aud. It'll only be a temporary contract for him. When you go back, it'll just go back to how it was before."

Silence from Audrey compelled Laura to continue.

"Andrews is a scheming, self important little man" she started. "He probably did this on purpose to stir things up a little. He loves the drama. Remember what happened to poor Kevin after he arrived at the hospital?"

Audrey nodded her agreement but couldn't put her thoughts into words just yet.

"It's not fair" Audrey whispered after a while.

"What isn't fair? Laura probed. She knew that there was more to this than just the job, but getting Audrey to open up had never been easy.

"Nothing's changing for him. My body is changing, stretching, hurting and I look so different, he gets to stay fit and stay in shape. I've given up my bike. I'm giving up the job I've worked so hard for and he gets handed it on a plate" she said getting agitated again.

Laura got up and went to sit closer.

"Calm down Aud, it's not good for either of you" she said, putting a hand on her friends shoulder and nodding at her stomach. "Did he tell you he called me last week?"

Audrey just looked and shook her head.

"Are you going to ask me why?"

"Why?" Audrey huffed.

"Because her loves you."

Audrey just rolled her eyes.

"He would do anything for you Audrey, and you need to let him. He called me to talk about you. What I thought you might like to do on your babymoon considering it'll be a lot calmer than your usual vacations. What he can do to help you when your stomach hurts. What he needs to get for you, to make you comfortable. Everything he does is for you Audrey."

As she came to the end of her spiel, she saw tears brimming in Audrey's eyes.

"And after baby gets here" Laura continued, "both of you will be walking around carrying your heart outside of your chest. You won't believe how much you can love another person and how vulnerable you feel. To think that life won't change for him is naive and deep down you know that."

The tears flowed freely now so all Audrey could do was nod.

"I'm an idiot" Audrey said eventually. "He's going to think I've gone mad."

"You could try blaming it on hormones again but I really do think you owe him an apology this time" Laura said taking her friends hand.

"I need to go" Audrey announced, making to get up. "I need to go to the store on the way home."

"Okay, I'll let him know you're on your way" Laura replied.

"Did you tell him I was here?" Audrey asked with an accusing tone.

"Certainly not" Laura replied. "He text me about 20 minutes before you got here. He must have sent it as you walked out the door."

"It seems that he knows me better than I know myself" Audrey smiled sadly. "I'm still going with me being an idiot "

"Not an idiot at all. Stubborn, opinionated and quick to react, yes. But not an idiot."

"Thanks, I think" Audrey laughed.

"You two took long enough to get this far, a few bumps won't be enough to throw either of you off. Now go home and apologise to your husband" Laura said authoritatively.

"Yes ma'am" Audrey said giving her friend a mock salute.

X

Audrey arrived home a little after ten. The porch lights were on and she could see the light was still on in their bedroom. She slipped off her shoes and hung her jacket in the hall closet. She picked up the little packet she had stopped for on the way home and quietly headed up the stairs.

She should have guessed he wouldn't be sleeping and felt a wave of guilt. She popped her head around the door and had a few seconds to take him in before he noticed her.

He was sat up in bed, propped with pillows against the headboard. He was on top of the comforter in just his pyjama pants casually flicking through the pages of some cardio journal and the sight made her breath catch.

"I know your there" he said smiling, without looking up. "You gonna stand and watch all night?"

He closed the journal and set it on the nightstand next to a tumbler which she assumed had contained some bourbon at some point this evening.

He looked up and straight into her eyes. She could see that he wasn't over the conflict from earlier and despite keeping his face neutral, his eyes communicated his confusion.

"I'm sorry" she started, taking a few steps inside. He smiled that smile he had just for her and the tears started flowing again.

"No, no, no" he said getting up and moving towards her as she sat on the edge of the mattress. "No need for tears."

"I'm sorry" she repeated. "I've been an ass."

"In what way?" He laughed.

"In the not talking to you when something is bothering me way" she said giving a wry smile.

"Ah, that" he said. "A little."

"I've been getting more and more bothered over the last couple of weeks that we haven't done anything to get ready for baby. We haven't decorated the nursery, got a car seat or stroller. It hasn't even got any clothes!"

"And that turned into being pissed at me how?" Neil asked cautiously.

"It's just built up and the final straw was you getting my job. I couldn't see past that, I got scared about how much things are going to change and I took it out on the wrong person."

"Yes, you did" he confirmed with a small smile. "How are you feeling now?" he asked gently.

"Better, Laura would make a great therapist. She pointed out some things I couldn't see, despite the fact they are right in front of my face. Thank you for letting me go."

"I don't think I actually had a choice in that" he laughed. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, I stopped on the way home and got you this" she said, handing him a small bag.

He opened it to pick out a new-born size bodysuit in a pastel yellow.

"Oh my God, that's tiny!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe that Mi Mundo will be that small."

"Or that big from my perspective" she laughed nervously.

"Thank you" Neil said kissing her cheek. "You know, that might have been the biggest 'talk' we've ever had" giving her a gentle nudge.

Audrey turned to face him and took his face in her hands. "I'm thinking so" she agreed. "I'll try my best not to do this again, but no promises. I can't guarantee what these hormones will have me doing next" she joked.

She kissed him soundly and melted into his arms. She tried to shove him gently backwards but he pulled away slightly.

"Really, you have the energy for that right now?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Absolutely, we don't fight enough to actually have makeup sex, so I'm taking advantage" she laughed.

"Damn hormones" he mumbled as she captured his lips again. 


	47. Chapter 47

They woke the next morning in a tangle of limbs having thoroughly made up last night. Audrey was curled on her side and Neil was tucked in behind her with his nose buried in her hair. One of his arms was under the pillow and his other was wrapped around her with his hand resting gently on her slightly swollen belly.

Audrey stirred first and she began to notice baby becoming more active. She lay there smiling to herself and a few moments later she felt him give her a light squeeze and mumble something incoherent in her ear as he wrapped his arm more tightly around her.

"What was that?" she asked him, nudging him slightly to get some space and rolling on to her back.

"I said, last night was amazing" he repeated more clearly. "But let's try to not fall out quite like that again" he smiled and he propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her beautiful face.

"Oh, I agree with that" she smiled. "Turns out, makeup sex is awesome but I think we're just fine in that department with out having to fight first" she laughed.

Just as she finished speaking, her stomach let out an almighty rumble. Neil shuffled down and rested his lips gently on her stomach which made her heart swell.

"You hungry in there?" he asked, dropping little kisses here and there. "What do you fancy for breakfast?"

Audrey smiled down at him. "Have we got any bagels?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll go check, stay put" he said with one last kiss as he got up to pull his pyjama pants back on.

A moment later, he was back and went straight into the bathroom. She heard him brushing his teeth and spraying his antiperspirant, wondering what he was up to.

"Stay put" he said as he pulled on his clothes quickly. "I'm going to grab some bagels and stuff. Won't be long."

"Neil, you don't have to, I'll have something else" she said taking his hand as he came to kiss her goodbye.

"No way, you're the boss remember. And besides, if Mi Mundo wants bagels, then bagels it shall have" he said as he turned to leave. "Love you!"

"Love you too" she laughed but he was already on his way down the stairs. She pulled the comforter back up under her chin and closed her eyes again intending on just having five more minutes.

It was almost an hour later when he arrived home, supplies in hand and there she was, still tucked in and sleeping peacefully. He took a moment to watch her this time and reminded himself just how lucky he was.

She heard him clear his throat somewhere in the distance and stretched out as her sleep fogged brain began to focus. She opened her eyes and saw him standing in the doorway, tray in hand with breakfast ready.

"Sorry" she yawned, moving cushions around and sitting up. "I just closed my eyes for five minutes, honest."

"Not a problem, breakfast is served" he smiled sitting down and putting the tray between them. "Now eat up, we're going to need the energy today" he said with a wink.

X

Neil took the breakfast tray back downstairs, she could hear him clearing up and moving around the kitchen. She got up and dressed in her clothes for the day and after she straightened the bed, she turned to head downstairs.

She stopped in her tracks on the landing. The door to the smaller room next to the master suite was open. This was unusual in itself, they took to keeping the door closed after the first few negative tests and she hadn't thought about it any further since then.

She peered inside and saw some pots of paint, dust-covers and various other items needed for some serious DIY. She smiled to herself and went to find Neil with a spring in her step.

"When did you get all that stuff?" she asked when she found him in the laundry room.

"Stuff?" he replied innocently.

"Yes Melendez, the decorating stuff" she pushed.

"Ah that" he smiled. "I took a little detour this morning, picked up some bits."

"Thank you" she whispered.

"No problem" he replied cupping her face in his hands. "Whatever you need, remember" kissing her soundly.

"So should I have dressed a little more scruffy to get involved? I don't really want these covered in paint, my wardrobe is getting limited enough" she smiled.

"Nope, you're good" he replied. "We've got other plans this morning" he said mysteriously. "We'll head out as soon as your ready."

X

An hour later they pulled into the parking lot of buybuy BABY. As they approached the front door, Audrey stopped abruptly, pulling on Neil's hand.

"Don't you remember our attempt at Christmas decoration shopping? Is this really a good idea? Shouldn't we just do this online?" she fired in quick succession.

"Yes it is a good idea," he replied turning to take both her hands in his. "We need to see this stuff, touch it, and know that we are happy with it."

She looked at him, a little misty eyed.

"This isn't disposable crap like Christmas decorations" He continued. "This is stuff our baby will sleep in, travel in and pretty much live in. It needs to be right."

She smiled at his words. As usual, he made a good argument and turned out to be right.

"Come on then" she smiled as they turned to walk inside.

Neither of them had really had the need to go into one of these stores before and were slightly taken aback at the sight that greeted them. Rows upon rows of cribs, strollers and car seats followed by racks of clothes in all the sizes and colours they could imagine.

"So how do we choose?" Audrey asked feeling a little overwhelmed.

As if on cue, a smiling salesperson appeared offering assistance which they grabbed with both hands. After getting the pep talk on car seat safety and using the little handheld scanner to add their choice to their list, they headed off by themselves to look at furniture.

"What colour paint did you get" Audrey asked as they walked down the rows of cribs.

"I got a few actually" Neil replied sheepishly. "I wasn't sure what you'd like so i got a cream, a grey and a yellow. Obviously not to go together" he added quickly after she raised her eyebrows at his choices.

"You seem to know me pretty well Melendez" she smiled softly.

"After this long, I think I'm getting the hang of it" he laughed.

They took their time and browsed thoroughly, scanning little barcodes and adding things to their list. They stopped at the checkout and paid for the big ticket items, arranging delivery for four weeks time. That would put delivery right in between their trip and the non-shower.

After some wrangling, he persuaded Audrey to give him the rest of the list to give to Laura so people could get them smaller items they actually wanted as a gift.

X

With a huge amount of shopping completed, Audrey seemed to be a lot more relaxed and had an air of accomplishment about her. They stopped for lunch on the way home and sat tucked in a corner booth whispering about the bits they had purchased and smiling widely at each other. For anyone watching, they looked like an excited couple just starting out, until they clocked the wedding bands and baby bump of course!

That afternoon, Neil got busy preparing the spare room for decorating, rubbing down the woodwork, washing down the walls, pulling back the carpet and loosening the fixtures. Audrey watched at this stage after he fielded her objections and he assured her that she could get busy with the painting soon enough.

She leaned against the doorjamb watching him in his scruffy old shorts and a paint splattered t-shirt. He had a days growth on his chin and she was thoroughly appreciating the view. As he stretched to reach some of the higher points, his shirt rose up which gave her a glimpse of his midriff which she was particularly enjoying.

By the time he made our around the room to the door frame she was leaving on, the only way he could describe the look in her eyes was devilish. She stepped back into the hall to allow him to continue and the moment he had finished, she stepped in.

"Come on" she said grabbing his dusty hand and pulling him along. "Your covered in dust, let me help you wash it off" she laughed as she dragged him into their bathroom.

There was no argument and he allowed himself to be led. He moved to remove his shirt and jumped a little when she smacked his hand away.

"Let me" she said smiling. "You've had a busy afternoon, I've just watched so it's my turn to do something. Now stand still" she demanded.

He stood and waited while she leaned in to turn on the shower head and turned her attention back to him.

"Arms up" she ordered. He complied and smiled as she gently lifted his shirt trying not to disturb the dust. He shifted his weight as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down in one movement. His breath caught and his eyes rolled back as she rose up letting out a long breath until they stood nose to nose again.

"In you get" she said, turning him around and giving his rear a squeeze. He stepped under the hot water and closed his eyes. She smiled as he rinsed the dust from his hair turning it from grey, back to black.

As he rinsed the first layer of dust away, she removed her own clothes and opened the door to join him. He picked up the shower gel and she took it from his hand, proceeding to soap him up from head to toe. He stood following her instructions and very much enjoying the feeling of her hands slipping all over his body.

The sensations eventually got too intense, his eyes snapped open and he moved to gently pin her against the wall. She gasped as his hands went to work on her body and the contrast of the cold tiles behind her, the hot body in front and the water streaming from above were enough to drive her to the edge.

He gently lifted her and proceeded to drive her over that edge and into oblivion.

Afterwards, they both sunk slowly to the floor, kissing each other with the showerhead still pouring down on them.

"That was..." he started.

"It was" she replied with a big smile. "Come on, let's get up and get dinner. I think we've worked up an appetite" she laughed.

"Absolutely" he replied with a kiss. 


	48. Chapter 48

They were due to hit the road to Santa Barbara within the hour and Audrey was nowhere to be seen. She has announced that she was popping out as Neil was throwing the last few items into their travel bag. That was thirty minutes ago and she was yet to return.

Zipping up the bag, he took it down to the hall, dropping it by the front door. He glanced at the clock again and walked through to the kitchen to get their coffee cups ready to go. He had made reservations for dinner at their hotel that night and Audrey had wanted to stop at Pismo Beach on the way down for lunch. He had no idea what she was up to, but she needed to hurry up.

It was at that moment he heard it, the deep rumbling purr of a finely tuned engine and what's more, it sounded like it was pulling into their driveway. He opened the front door in time to see Audrey's long denim clad legs stepping out of the driver's seat.

He stood and waited for her to approach with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on her face.

"What's this all about?" Neil asked looking over at the beautiful brilliant blue Mercedes AMG S parked up on the drive.

"Well I figured we could travel in style, we won't be able to drive around in a two seater for a good few years to come" she smiled.

"It's awesome" he smiled wrapping his arms loosely around her. She hung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Let's hit the road Lim."

The first stretch of their trip was around three hours down to Pismo Beach and they arrived towards the end of the lunchtime rush at the Ventana Grill. They hadn't made a reservation so waited out on the wrap around balcony with drinks while the serving staff efficiently cleared tables. The restaurant was perched on top of a coastal bluff and the large balcony gave them a dramatic view of the waves crashing onto the rocky shoreline below.

They were lucky to be called in to a booth by the window which gave them a spectacular view of the Pacific while they looked over the menu. Their server brought over more drinks and an appetizer of tortillas and salsa to sample while they waited for their lunches to arrive.

Service was great and lunch arrived quickly. As expected, Audrey ordered the Chicken Burrito which was overflowing onto her plate. It was stuffed with tender chicken, charro beans, tasty rice, cheeses and covered with a Chile Colorado Sauce. Neil smiled as she took a bite and closed her eyes to savour the flavour even more.

'She's beautiful' he thought to himself.

"Want to try some?" Audrey asked, nodding at her plate. "It's amazing."

"I'm good, you look like you're enjoying that way to much to share" he laughed. He had ordered the Milenesa Chicken Sandwich which was more than enough for him. The roll was overflowing with chicken, pinquinto beans, salad and his favourite jalapenos. The side of potatoes wedges that came with it had quickly been commandeered by Audrey, a habit that had started almost a decade ago and showed no sign of stopping. He smiled at the memory of it all.

X

With Pismo Beach only being an hour or so from their final destination, they decided to hang around a little longer after they had finished lunch.

"Do you want to go see Bubblegum Alley?" Audrey asked as they walked along, arm in arm down the promenade towards the pier.

"Do I want to see gum chewed up by strangers stuck to a wall?" he asked, looking at her slightly confused. "Not really" he said.

"When you put it like that, it's sounds gross" she replied.

"That's because it is gross" he laughed. "If you insist, we'll go but don't get too close. There must be a phenomenal amount of germs in there, you could end up with tetanus!"

"Don't be so dramatic" she laughed. "Come on, let's go see."

They stood looking down between the walls of the alley with a look of both awe and disgust on their faces.

"Can we go now?" Neil asked. "Tell me you don't want to contribute, please" he said looking at Audrey trying to gauge which side of the scale she sat on.

"This is actually gross" she said sounding disappointed and wrinkling her nose. "I thought it would look cool but it just smells funny, and it's making me feel quite nauseous"

He just smiled, took her hand and led her away.

"Let's grab a drink for the rest of the drive" he said to distract her. "I promise the rest of the trip will be better."

"Better than a gross wall full of chewed up gum? I should hope so" she said laughing.

X

They pulled up at the Harbour View Inn almost two hours later. It's location right in front of the beach and the choice to walk to some quality restaurants were both high on the list of reasons Neil chose it.

The sleek, modern lobby was a direct contrast to the Spanish villa look of the exterior. They were greeted by friendly staff who didn't give any of Neil's plans away when they were processing the check in. With their key in hand, they headed to the elevator and found the way to their room.

They had a beautifully appointed room on the third floor with a balcony overlooking the luscious gardens, the pool area and ultimately the ocean. The bed was enormous and beautifully made with crisp white sheets and colourful statement cushions.

"Well this is nice" Audrey said taking a good look around. "You've excelled yourself Melendez."

He just stood and smiled as she worked her way around the room looking and fiddling with bits and pieces.

"Fancy a drink?" Neil asked walking over to the chilled bottle on the side.

"Erm, duh" she said pointing to her stomach.

"Duh yourself" he replied. "It's apple cider. Do your want some?"

"Ah, yes please" she smiled. "And look at those" she said sneaking her hand under his arm to snag a fancy looking chocolate out of the tray. "I'm feeling quite spoilt already."

He poured them a glass each and Audrey went to sit on the bed. She kicked off her sneakers and sighed as she leaned back into the deep, soft cushions. At 29 weeks, she was beginning to feel the effects of everything a little more. Standing too long, sitting too long and definitely drinking too much caused some discomfort to her petite frame.

"What are the plans for tonight" she asked him stifling a yawn.

"Well, I'm hoping this is ok" he started. "I just ordered room service for tonight, an early dinner. Figured that the journey could be a little tiring?"

"That is one of the best things you've ever said to me, I've never loved you more than I do right now" she said with a laugh. "My God, I'm getting old!"

They swapped seats to the balcony a short while later while they waited for dinner to arrive and chatted about Neil's vague plans for the next few days.

"Well we're not going to be hitting any vineyards this trip" he said smiling cheekily at her. "But apart from a couple of things I've booked, we're as free as birds to explore."

"Can we look out for a nice restaurant to get dinner on Sunday?" Audrey asked.

"That's all sorted, was recommended Due Lune next door. You don't need to worry about anything, just relax" he said pulling her in closer to his side.

There came a knock at the door which was dinner arriving. He had ordered perfectly, she would never have doubted, and two and a half courses later they were both stuffed. Following an after dinner coffee (decaf of course) Audrey headed back to lounge on the bed.

Neil excused himself for a quick shower and by the time he was done, Audrey's eyes were almost closed. She perked up a little as he walked back into the room with his pyjama pants hung low on his hips but it was short lived and he laughed as she flopped back into the pillows.

"Come on, up" he said pulling on her hands. "Let's get these trousers off."

"Aren't you the romantic" she laughed, wriggling forwards and lifting her hips. He pulled her to her feet and moved the sheets back before letting her sit back down and walking around to the other side.

"It's too early for you to sleep, isn't it?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah, but I'll find something to watch, don't worry" he said as she moved closer into his side.

"No work though, right?"

"None whatsoever" he smiled down at her as she rested her head gently on his bare chest.

"Great, goodnight love" she mumbled, heading off into slumber.

"Night" he replied and settled in to find something to watch.

"Neil" she piped up a moment later. "Can we go to the zoo?"

"Anything you like, Aud."

Her reply was muffled and he couldn't quite make it out, so he just kissed her forehead and wished her a goodnight. 


	49. Chapter 49

They woke the next morning having hardly moved during the night. Audrey's head was still resting on Neil's chest and she smiled to herself as she woke slowly, enjoying the feeling if his arm wrapped around her. She wanted to look up at his sleeping face, he always looked so peaceful but she knew that even the slightest movement would wake him.

After a short while, she began to trace the antlers inked on his upper chest to stir him and he began to stretch as he surfaced from his sleep.

"Morning" he said quietly as to not break the peaceful moment. She lifted her head and looked at him, he hadn't opened his eyes yet but had a small smile on his face.

"Morning handsome" she said as she moved to prop herself on her elbow to look down on him. She loved looking at him while he was this vulnerable. At the hospital, he was the nice guy, Mr. Confidant with his sharp suits and cleanly shaven face. In moments like these, with sleep still in his eyes and a couple of days hair on his chin she thought he was at his most beautiful. All she could see when she looked into his eyes was his love for her.

It had taken a while for her not to feel overwhelmed by that look, but now she embraced it. Despite not being the big romantic like him, she had figured out different ways to show Neil exactly how she felt about him and they truly were each other's yin and yang.

"Sleep ok? " he mumbled back.

"Like a baby" she smiled and as if on cue, she felt a dig just under her ribs which took her breath away. "I think someone is hinting that we get up and get some breakfast" she said flinching slightly.

"Good idea" he said. "Fancy a quick shower first?"

"A shower, or a 'shower'?" she asked quizzically. "Because you had one last night?"

"And you used me as a pillow for almost ten hours straight and I'm sure you drooled a bit" he laughed earning himself a smack on his arm. "But either type of shower is good with me" he winked.

X

Neil was slipping on his shoes as Audrey came out of the bathroom after their shower. She was roughly towelling her hair and was yet to put on her shirt so Neil took a moment to appreciate the view. She had always been beautiful to him, but there was something about the fact that she was carrying his baby that made her glow.

Stood in front of the full length mirror, she flicked back her hair and caught him blatantly staring at her with a faraway look in his eyes.

"You ok there?" she asked, startling him a little.

"Just wondering how I got so lucky" he said, standing up and walking towards her.

"Took our time about it, but got there in the end, hey" she said as she leaned back into his embrace. He dropped his chin to her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. They just stood a moment, touching from head to toe, looking in the mirror at what they had become.

"You're beautiful, you know" he said.

"Hhmph" she said as she wrinkled her nose and gave a little huff. "Hard to feel that when your ankles puff up and your shirts are getting too tight!"

"So, I've booked something this morning I want to try out" he continued after a brief pause. "If you don't like it, you don't have to do it though okay, no pressure."

She didn't say anything but raised her eyebrows with a curious look on her face.

"Sounds interesting" she replied. "What time?"

"Ten" he answered flatly, looking a little nervous.

"Come on then, best get breakfast in me before baby gets hungry" she smiled as she took his hand and led him to the door.

X

They walked down State Street after a leisurely breakfast and the closer it got to ten, the quieter Neil got.

"What's up, Melendez?" Audrey asked, pulling him to one side. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he answered.

"Liar" she said prodding his chest with her finger. "Spill."

"Come on, we're nearly there. I'll show you" he said taking her hand again and leading the way.

They left the main street and walked a little further until they reached an innocuous looking door. There was a small sign in the window which went unnoticed and Audrey was still none the wiser as Neil knocked the door and stepped back to wait for an answer.

The door opened and a kind looking lady greeted them, inviting then inside.

"I'm Lucy," she said holding out her hand to greet Audrey first, then Neil. Smiling at the blank look on Audrey's face she turned to Neil.

"You really haven't told her anything?" she asked, and he shook his head. "You're a brave man! Would you like to take a seat?"

"Sure, thanks" Audrey replied. "Then you guys can tell me what's going on" she said looking pointedly at Neil who was leaning against the door frame.

Lucy took a folder from the side table and held it on her lap. She looked at Audrey and smiled as she started to speak.

"Your husband called me a little while ago to enquire and explained that you're quite an individual lady and how he wanted something special for you. Take a look at these" she said handing Audrey the folder.

She opened it and started slowly turning the pages looking at picture after picture, her face softening as she went. "These women look beautiful" she said looking up at Neil.

"I want you to see yourself the way I see you. The beautiful reason your clothes don't fit right and your back gets sore if your stand to long" her said smiling softly.

She didn't know what to say so she just nodded.

"Wonderful!" Lucy exclaimed. "Would you like to come this way and we'll get started. Are you coming Mr. Melendez?"

"Neil" he replied. "I'll wait here, unless you want me in there?"

Audrey shook her head, not trusting the words to come out if she tried to speak. He stepped towards her, brushed her hair back from her cheek and kissed her.

"Love you Lim."

"Love you Melendez."

It was almost an hour later, the studio door opened and Lucy popped her head around.

"So we're pretty much done in here but Audrey has decided that you need to feel some of the pain... her words!"

He got up of his chair and followed her through, smiling as he went. He was telling himself there was no way she'd have stayed this long if she hadn't enjoyed at least a bit and when he saw her, he knew she was right.

She was looking at him with a smile on her face and he couldn't help grinning back.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, out of earshot.

"It's actually been great. We talked a while longer, she took some shots for me to see and I was sold" she replied. "I know, I surprised myself! But now it's your turn, shirt off!"

He looked over at Lucy who simply nodded. He undid the top few buttons, pulled his shirt over his head and stood there waiting. "Okay, where do you want me?" he asked trying to sound confident.

"Right this way" Lucy said with a laugh.

X

Another thirty minutes later they were back outside thanking Lucy on the doorstep. "I'll email the proofs over as soon as possible" she said. "Enjoy the rest of your stay in Santa Barbara"

They thanked her and headed back towards State Street hand in hand.

"So, any more surprises today?" Audrey asked suspiciously.

"All done for today" he smiled. "Rest of the day is yours."

"So lunch, then zoo right? It's Friday so it might be quieter than the weekend" she said hopefully.

"Your wish is my command!"

They decided to stop at a lovely looking place called Loquita for tapas. By all accounts, they were lucky to get a seat without a reservation but they were a little ahead of the lunchtime rush.

Audrey let Neil go ahead and order for them. Whenever they went out to a Spanish restaurant, he took joy in ordering dishes that remind him of his childhood and would always compare them to what his mother used to make.

The server brought their dishes and they thoroughly enjoyed the grass fed beef. It came with manzanilla olives and pickled mustard seeds, and was served with a 12 year sherry vinegar with arbequina olive oil. Their other dish of Tortilla Española, a Spanish tortilla with potato, caramelized onion and herb aiol was the perfect accompaniment.

She lived watching his face as he tasted the flavours that took him back in time. These meals were often accompanied by stories of growing up in a strict but loving Catholic household. Him and Gabi causing trouble, his time as an altar boy and adventures they had in Sunday School.

Today the conversation took a slightly different direction as the music playing in the background caught his attention. He smiled and looked at her, waiting to see if she caught on.

"What?" she asked, looking at him. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No!" he laughed. "Listen."

She stopped, listened and promptly blushed.

"I haven't heard this song in a loooooong time" she said smiling.

"Reminds me of a particularly good night out many years ago" he laughed.

"Yeah, until I was an idiot" she replied.

"Maybe" he said. "But do you think we'd be here now, like this if we'd hooked up that night?"

"Probably not" she smiled.

"I know which option I prefer. Hindsight is 20/20" he smiled.

X

They took the shuttle over to the zoo once lunch was finished. The queue was small and once inside they headed took the miniature train right to the bottom to see the giraffes.

They stood up on the giraffe deck watching the gangly mammals strolling back and forth and smiling at the baby giraffe trying to keep up.

"That's going to be us in a few months, you know?" Audrey said laughing.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a little frown.

"Well look at them" she said. "All arms and legs and no idea how to look after a little one. It's like a glimpse into our future!"

"We'll be fine" he said confidently. "At least you will. Mothers instinct is a real thing, I've seen it at the hospital. You're going to kick ass" he smiled, kissing her cheek.

They spent a couple of hours watching the lazy lions, the very active monkeys and worked their way around all the major exhibits. They snacked on some fresh churros along the way and thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon. While Audrey visited the bathroom, Neil slipped into the gift shop and picked up something small. They wrapped it tightly for him so he could keep it from Audreys prying eyes.

"We should come back here in a couple of years" Neil said as they headed out of the gates.

"That's a brilliant idea" she replied. "And next time, we get to feed the giraffes."

"Deal" he smiled.

X

Audrey flopped onto the bed as soon as they got back to the room and closed her eyes while Neil got them a drink.

"You okay?" he asked, looking over, not entirely sure she was still awake.

"Yeah" she replied. "Just a bit tired, that's all."

"Want a nap before dinner?" he asked. "I'll leave you in peace?"

"Nap sounds good, but you leaving not so much" she said patting the bed next to her.

He climbed up, putting his soda safely within reach on the nightstand. She took the remote from him and put on something that would bore her to sleep, not that she needed the help. Within five minutes, she was out and he changed the channel.

An hour later, she was still sleeping heavily but he took the brave decision to wake her anyway. He brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her. She stirred slightly bit didn't wake.

He shifted his weight and tried again. He kissed her just behind her ear, then went on kissing a path down to her neck and along her collarbone. This got her attention and she rolled onto her back and stretched.

"Hey" she said looking up at him sleepily.

"Hey yourself" he said softly. "I figured you wouldn't want more than an hour?"

"You figured right" she smiled while she stretched some more.

She eventually propped herself up on her elbow and met his gaze as they lay there nose to nose. She leaned forward to kiss him and he keenly returned the favour.

"We going to finish what you started here?" she chuckled as his kisses started to move away from her lips.

"Yes, Ma'am" he smiled into her neck.

She put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him onto his back. He grinned up at her as she sat astride him, enjoying the view of her smiling down at him.

'This trip could be the best yet' he thought to himself as his hands went to work.


	50. Chapter 50

**So this is chapter fifty! Didn't think this is where I'd be when I started this back in March. I only thought I'd write a chapter or two! Thanks ever so much for all the support and the reviews, they mean a lot. **

**X**

Saturday morning they woke, both of them stretching out of a peaceful sleep. They were both thoroughly enjoying living life without alarms, schedules and meetings. He was tucked in tightly behind her with one arm under the pillow and the other loosely thrown over her midriff. She pushed herself back further into his embrace and she felt the whiskers on his chin scratching her gently as he randomly kissed her neck.

"I could get used to this" she groaned as he caught a particularly sweet spot just behind her ear. "Can we stay here forever?"

"That would be amazing" he mumbled. "But Monday will have to do, I'm afraid."

"I'll take that" she replied looking over her shoulder away him. "Did you plan anything for today?"

"Yes and no" he replied cryptically. "I've booked you some time in the Spa this afternoon but again, it's totally up to you" he said bracing himself for a sarcastic reply. It was not forthcoming and he lifted his head to check that she was actually still awake. Her found her smiling to herself quietly.

"Are you okay?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm fine" she smiled.

"You're ok with the Spa thing?"

"Absolutely" she replied.

He propped himself on his elbow and looked down on her with a confused look.

"Who are you, and what have you done with the real Audrey Lim?" he teased with a grin on his face.

"I'm here smart ass" she replied. "I just actually enjoyed yesterday, so figured this might not be so bad either."

"Fair enough" he shrugged. He was not going to start arguing with Audrey logic now.

"Feel free to continue where you left off" she said with a cheeky smile.

"You're the boss" he replied and dropped his lips back to her neck.

X

When they woke for the second time that morning, it was with more of a start. The baby had given Audrey such a kick that she had jumped awake and actually called out. Her movements startled Neil who woke in a bit if a panic.

Once she reassured him that everything was ok, they got up and got ready for breakfast. They had missed service at the hotel so walked over the bridge to State Street Coffee, tempted by the selection of fresh pastries they had seen the day before.

"So what time is my appointment" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"2pm" he replied. "Want to do something this morning?" he asked.

"Can't we just try out the pool? The outside one is heated and the inside one looks lovely too" she said casually.

He was used to her being casual and laid back, but seeing her embrace the relaxation side of this trip was something else. He was under no illusion that Audrey would continue this behaviour at home, she would be back into her comic book t-shirts and jeans in no time but that was exactly what he was hoping for.

They wandered back to the hotel, got their swimming gear and headed down to the Spa to use the indoor pool. Neil argued it was too cool to be poolside with no shirt, despite the heated water so they spent what was left of their morning floating around the indoor pool and enjoying each others company until Neil suggested ordering room service for lunch.

After drying off, they ordered at the reception desk before going up to their room to shower and dress. Neil was done first, and as Audrey was turning off the water, the was a knock at the door. Neil stuck his head in as he passed by.

"Stay in there a minute, don't want to give the server a show."

"Asshat!" was the carefully structured response.

He knocked again after he left and announced the 'all clear'. She came out to find a plate loaded with chips and salsa, a small cheese board and some fresh strawberries covered in chocolate for a sweet dessert. In a cooler to one side was four bottles of Corona and a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

"Having a party, are we?" Audrey asked as she peered in the cooler.

"Thought I might have a couple and watch a game on this ridiculous TV while you're downstairs" he said spreading his arms wide.

"Ah, your kind of relaxation" she teased.

"Almost" he replied. "We're a bit out of season so basketball will have to do!"

X

He walked her down to the reception of Spa Beaumontia to make sure there were no issues with the booking. He was still sure that given half the chance she'd blow it off and watch the game with him instead.

"Stay as long as you like, we've got no plans this evening" Neil whispered as they waited by the desk.

"We'll see how it goes since I've never done this before. Besides, if I stay too long, you'll be a cheap date tonight" she laughed.

"Not on four beers I won't, don't worry" he smiled. "I'm a bit more hard-core than that!"

"We'll see" she smiled.

The ladies behind the reception were very welcoming and after a kiss from Neil, Audrey disappeared behind the scenes.

"Your wife is in good hands Mr. Melendez, don't worry" one of the technicians said smiling.

"I have no doubt" her replied with a smile. "It's you guys I'm worried about" he laughed.

"Ah, we'll be fine" she replied. "We've experienced all sorts here."

"Of course" he smiled. "Just remember, anything she wants, just put it on the bill. I don't think she's relaxed properly in the whole time I've known her."

"Is that a long time?"

"Only about 12 years!" Neil laughed as he headed for the door.

X

As the game he was watching came to an end, he checked his watch and was surprised to see that it really was a good two hours since he walked Audrey to the Spa.

He had finished his beers a little while ago so decided to head downstairs to check all was ok. He was half expecting her to be sat somewhere out of the way drinking a soda after only making it through a half hour.

He made it right up to the reception desk and was greeted by the same smiling face he'd met earlier.

"Hi" she said. "Have you had a nice afternoon, Sir?"

"I have, thanks. All ok with Audrey? I didn't expect her to stay this long" he smiled.

"If you want to hang around for five minutes or so she's actually on her way out."

"Great, thanks" he said taking a seat.

A few moment later, a door opened and out she came. The was a soft smile on her face as she seemingly glided up to him.

"Hi" she said kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Hi" he smiled back. "You ok?"

"I'm just wonderful" she replied. "These ladies are miracle workers."

"So it would appear" he laughed. "Ready to go?"

"I am. Lead the way" she smiled.

They left hand in hand after thanking the Spa staff and headed back up to their room.

As he opened the door, she walked past and lay like a starfish across the bed.

"You know it's only five o'clock, don't you. You can't sleep yet."

"But I feel like over melted into a puddle. I don't think my legs will hold me up anymore" she smiled lifting her head a little to look at him and finding him smirking at her from the foot of the bed.

"Okay, you stay there a bit. Not to long though, we don't have reservations and it is Saturday night."

"Yessir" she drawled.

"I'm going to shave and shower ready. Try not to fall asleep" he laughed as she dropped her head back heavily on the bed.

She heard him filling the sink ready to rid himself of a few days growth. As much as she loved his scratchy chin nibbling at her neck, she knew he preferred a clean shave and he probably wanted to look smart for their dinner date tomorrow night.

She lay there daydreaming a little longer and started slightly as she heard him let the water out of the sink. Shortly afterwards, the shower came to life and she imagined him there, stood under the rainfall head with the water sluicing down the hard lines of his body.

It didn't take her long to decide what to do next and she was up off the bed, removing her clothes and heading in to join him.

X

Around an hour later, they headed out hand in hand to try their luck for dinner. As they strolled down State Street they could see some places already had lines outside and kept on walking.

Further along, they came across a nice looking steakhouse called Holdrens. It looked busy enough but there was no line so they tried their luck. After waiting a few moments a server informed them there was a table available and they were seated promptly.

"Please get a steak" Audrey said almost pleading with him. Neil raised his eyebrows in response. "Don't go getting sympathy chicken just because I'm having it."

"What in earth is sympathy chicken?" Neil laughed.

"It's what you order because you feel bad that I can't have steak" she said quite plainly. "Sympathy chicken."

"You're mad, you know that right?" he sais shaking his head. "And you can have steak, it's just..."

"Well done steak should be classed as a sin. Don't even joke about it" she smiled.

After a short wait their dinner arrived. A tender, herb crusted chicken for Audrey with a creamy gorgonzola sauce and the obligatory side of French fries. For Neil it was the filet mignon, medium rare with a twice baked potato that was a lot bigger than he expected.

"I cannot wait to eat a nice bloody steak" she sighed as she watched him cut through the piece on his plate. The knife glided through it as if it were butter and she actually groaned as he put the first forkful in his mouth.

"This is getting weird" he smiled as she watched the second fork go in. "Your gonna give me a complex."

The topic of conversation eventually changed as Neil asked what she actually had done in the Spa that turned her to jelly.

"The best massage I've ever had. All perfectly safe and amazingly relaxing" she said with a bit if she dreamy look. "I though I'd be weirded out having strangers touching me, I surprised myself again" she laughed.

"Have you ever had a proper massage before?" he asked.

"No" she smiled. "But I doubt they could top that one."

"Nice, I'm glad you enjoyed love" he said taking her hand across the table.

"Oh, I enjoyed so much that when they suggested hand and foot treatments I just nodded and they went to work!"

They were interrupted at that moment by the server clearing the table and enquiring about dessert.

"No thanks" Audrey started.

"Yes please" Neil finished. "We'll take the s'mores please."

She raised her eyebrows but didn't argue.

"And I'll have a Macallan please' he continued.

"18 year?"

"Sure, why not" he smiled as they handed back the dessert menus.

The order arrived shortly after and Audrey's eyes lit up. The plate was full of fluffy marshmallows, chocolate dip, crackers and strawberries but the best part was the miniature campfire in the middle.

"That's awesome" she said smiling and digging right in. She burnt her marshmallows to a flaming crisp while Neil browned his until they were just about runny. Absolute opposites as they were in many things, but a perfect for each other nonetheless.

He sipped at his scotch after he'd finished his share and closed his eyes as he appreciated the soft, rich with a taste of spice and wood smoke.

Audrey stood to excuse herself to use the bathroom but stopped right next to him. She bent down and kissed him hard on the lips. Maybe a little too hard for a crowded restaurant.

"I miss scotch too" she said smiling and licking her lips.

X

After dinner, they strolled back to the Inn, passing by the crowded bars. Just a year ago, they would have been out until all hours, having a drink and maybe a bit of dancing. Their lives had changed so much, and were going to change so much more over the next come of months.

"Last day tomorrow" Audrey sighed. "I still don't want to go home, you know."

"I know" he smiled. "Want to do something tomorrow, or just hang out? We're could take a whale watching trip?"

"What?"

"Get on a boat, go and see whales and dolphins?"

"What if they confuse me with a whale and try to throw me back" she smiled rubbing her rather prominent belly.

"Hardly, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Your beautiful" he said looking straight ahead. "You might get fed up of hearing it but it's true."

She smiled up at him and say the corners of his mouth twitching, trying to keep his face straight.

"Love you, Melendez."

"Love you too, Lim."


	51. Chapter 51

She felt the mattress dip as he moved in behind her after stretching a while. They woke in much the same way they had the last few days, no alarms and gradually surfacing when they were ready. The whole thing had been bliss.

He tucked himself right in against her back and nibbled at her neck as his arm snaked around her. A habit of his that she would never, ever get bored of.

"Happy Anniversary, handsome" Audrey mumbled as she rolled onto her back, stuffing some cushions behind her to sit up a little.

"Happy anniversary, my love" he replied as he propped himself up on his elbow to get a better look at her beautiful face. "One whole year, hey?"

"I know" she replied, smiling. "Never quite thought we'd get here mind!"

"We definitely didn't make it easy for ourselves, did we" he sighed. "But now look" he smiled. "Couldn't be any better" he said scooting down to say good morning to her exceedingly burgeoning baby bump.

She smiled down at him as he mumbled away in Spanish to her exposed belly dropping kisses after each sentence. This kid was going to be lucky having a father so full of love, and so happy to share it.

After getting what he assumed was a foot to the face, Neil gave a final kiss and flopped back onto the pillows next up Audrey.

"So what we doing today?"

"Well, I've got somewhere to be at ten for a little bit, then I'm free" Audrey replied cryptically.

He raised his eyebrows at that, but didn't press for anymore details. He'd told her at the start of trip, it was all about what she wanted so was more than happy she was embracing that.

"Okay" he replied, trying to sound casual. "And after that?"

"We could take the boat trip you suggested yesterday. See if you can book a couple if spots while I'm out" she suggested.

"Sure thing" he said kissing her and moving to get out of bed. "Want anything?"

"Put the coffee on, please" she smiled against his lips.

"Yes ma'am" he smiled.

X

He came out of the bathroom to find her dressed, ready to go. She was sipping away the coffee which was still way too hot to be drinking, but she was stubbornly persisting.

"Got time to get breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

"No sorry" she replied. "Got to get going in a bit. But here" she said handing him an envelope.

Turning it over in his hands and smiling, he opened it to find a card. 'Happy Anniversary Husband' said the slogan across the front. As he opened it, a further small envelope fell out into the mattress. With a curious look on his face, he picked open the envelope and found tickets inside.

"Traditional first anniversary gift is paper. So I thought tickets" she smiled.

He smiled as he took in the name printed on the front. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the first concert they went to together back in 2012 on one of their outings as 'friends'.

"That's awesome" he smiled knowing the exact sentiment behind them. "These are dated July though?" he questioned.

"It'll be fine, I'm sure" she assured him. "This one will arrive right on time and we'll be good to go" she laughed, trying to convince herself as much as him.

"Thank you" he said again, opening his arms wide and engulfing her in a wonderful hug. She loved being in his embrace, although it was getting more tricky as her pregnancy progressed and their little bundle got in the way.

He released her after a couple of minutes and went to the side pocket of his bag.

"Here" he said, holding out a rectangular parcel wrapped in shiny paper.

"Fancy" she asked turning it over a few times to try and guess what it might be. She tucked her fingers into a gap in the tape and pulled revealing a book.

The front cover was emblazoned with 'Mr. & Mrs. Melendez' in a comic book style font and there were silhouette outlines of two superhero characters striking extravagant poses. On opening it, she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.

The first page held two photographs of six, young, smiling first year residents. A formal photograph from their first day as they stood side by side in their crisp white coats. The second was a much more casual shot of them all on the last night out before Delun and Alex left for pastures new and they were all beaming at the camera, with their arms around each other.

She sat on the edge of the bed before turning to the next page, not quite sure what was coming next. She looked shocked as she turned the page to look at the next pictures. One of Neil pulling her through a crowded bar by the hand, and one of them fast asleep right next to each other.

"Where on earth did these come from?" she asked feeling a little choked.

"It seems Jo has been stalking us for a while" he laughed. "This one was a night out from the first year" he said pointing. "This one is from our first Mass Casualty, the residents room ran out of bunks remember?" he said pointing to the one of them sleeping peacefully.

"This is insane" she said shaking her head. "You made us our own comic book?"

"As close as i could get" he nodded as he smiled at her shocked reaction. She was never speechless, but this was close.

She continued turning the pages and looking at the concerts and sports games they attended, often as a group of four. Looking back, she realised how much their friends did so that her and Neil spent time together. The picture of their Christmas spent at Neil's apartment prompted a very wide grin as she replayed the memories of that day in her head.

As the pictures of the group went from four people down to three she felt a tinge of sadness and she noticed the particularly lean years where Neil was with Jessica.

Then came the last two years and a flood of emotion took over. She let out a little sob as she turned the pages looking at the memories from their time together. Their first holiday in Mexico, his cousins wedding, their new home and a selfie by the tree on their first proper Christmas together.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and he just smiled at her. As a single tear ran down her cheek, he reached up and wiped it gently with his thumb and she leaned into his hand.

"This was meant to make you smile" he said apologetically, putting his hand on the book to stop her turning the page.

"Stupid hormones" she said giving a little laugh. "Happy tears, I promise" she said as she pushed his hand away.

The next few pages held photographs of their wedding and honeymoon which brought a big smile to her face and then she turned the page and gasped again. There was a picture she'd forgotten was ever taken of her and Neil with Baby James. She put her hand to her own stomach and have him a sad smile.

"I though it'd be ok, it was because of James we decided to stop waiting around" he said putting his hand on top of hers. "That was an important moment for us."

"It is, it's a lovely picture" she smiled.

The pictures that followed were their own sonogram images and some more images from random day trips and then a few pages of blank spaces.

"For this trip" he explained. "Figured we'd get some good ones to finish out the last few pages."

"You're the best, you know. I'm lucky to have you" she smiled. "We're lucky to have you" she added as she leaned in to kiss him.

He smiled against her lips and mumbled "ditto."

Pulling away reluctantly, she looked down at her watch and looked at him apologetically.

"I've got to go" she said with urgency. "I'll miss my appointment."

"No problem" he replied. "We've got all day."

He watched her rush out of the door with a smile and couldn't help wondering what on earth she was up to. Whatever it was, it was making her smile and he could never get enough of that. He could wait. 


	52. Chapter 52

He gave her a ten minute head start before he pulled on his sneakers and strolled down to the reception. By the time he got there, she was nowhere to be seen. After a good chat with the staff, he booked them on a boat trip for just after lunch, it was a two hour trip but that would be plenty, they had dinner booked for that evening.

On their advice however, he did go out to get them both another layer to wear, it was going to be much colder on the water than it was on shore. They could potentially be 20 miles from shore and there would be a good wind this time of year.

X

He waited.

He sat in their room with his feet up on the chair opposite, while some mindless rubbish droned on the television as background noise. He was so focused on the screen of his tablet, checking his emails, that he didn't hear the door open as Audrey came back.

She was right by his feet before he noticed her and startled as she cleared her throat.

"Hi" he said a little sheepishly, as if he'd been caught doing something illicit.

"Checking work emails?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Nope, personal that's all" he smiled.

"Sure?" she asked suspiciously.

"Absolutely" he smiled. "Laura just had a couple of questions about your 'non- shower' that were time sensitive."

She rolled her eyes at the mention of the upcoming event, still not quite sold on the idea but now it seemed plans were well underway so there was no backing out now.

"Mystery appointment go ok?" he asked, standing and kissing her cheek.

"Yes" she smiled happy that she had piqued his curiosity.

"Gonna enlighten me?" he tried.

"Nope" she laughed turning to sit on the edge of the bed.

He stepped towards her, nudging her knees apart to stand in between them.

"You should tie your hair up before we go for lunch" he said as he gently tucked her loose tresses behind her ears. "Can get quite windy on the boat by all accounts" he smiled.

She smiled up at him and nodded and he couldn't resist kissing her again. She happily kissed him back and allowed her hands to start wandering until they finally settled, one in his hair and one on his behind. She loved it when he kept his hair a little longer for just this reason.

Enjoying the sensation of her hands in his hair, he started to slide his hands up her thighs and brought them to rest on her waist. His hands settled, but his thumbs teased the skin at the hem of her shirt.

Suddenly, her hands were on his shoulders, pushing him back and he looked at her a little confused.

"You ok" he asked

"I'm fine" she replied, a little flustered. "What time is our trip?"

"Two o'clock, plenty of time" he mumbled as he lowered his head again in an attempt to continue his assault on her neck.

She groaned and let her head fall back as he moved along her collarbone and back up to her lips. She was starting to lose all sensible thought and hooked one leg around him, pulling him closer in an attempt to cause some friction between them. But as his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt and she felt the heat on her cool skin, she jolted back to reality and pushed him back again.

"Aud, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to slow down his breathing.

"I'm sorry" she replied. "Maybe we should go get lunch" she said pushing him right back so she could stand up and put some distance between them.

"Sure, okay" he replied. "Just give me a minute" he said heading out on to the balcony to recover.

A few minutes later, he came back inside.

"Ready to go?" he asked, seeing that her hair was now in the familiar bun she wore when she was at work.

"Sure" she replied with a smile. "Let me grab my jacket."

"Oh, and this" he said, throwing a hooded sweater towards her. "They said it might get chilly so I went out for these" he smiled.

She held it up and laughed. "U.C Santa Barbara? We're going to look like proper tourists now!"

"Oh, especially when i put this one on" he said, laughing at her reaction top the second sweater. A different colour, but the same logo.

"There are to be no photographs of this, okay?" she said pulling it over her head.

"Can't promise that" he teased as he pulled her hood up and tightened the cords. "Besides, I think you look cute!"

"Say that again Melendez" she dared.

"I said, I think you look..." was as far as he got before he got a pillow to the face.

X

They stopped at a small cafe on the way to the Harbour for a quick lunch and a coffee. The board outside had declared that they made the best grilled cheese in California so they put them to the test.

"Not sure they are the best" Audrey announced as they heard back out onto the sidewalk. "But definitely in my top five" she asked as she took his hand.

"That was good" he agreed, smiling as he looked down at their hands. "Ready to board Madame?" He asked as they approached the Condor Express.

"Absolutely" she replied as they got to the foot of the gangplank.

They found a spot on the top deck where they figured they would have a good view. The captain began a narrative over the speaker system and explained where they were going and why. During the course of the trip, he educated them on the habits of the creatures they saw and how they found them without using radar.

Around thirty minutes in, they saw a grey whale break the surface not far from the bow, with its calf swimming alongside. The jet powered vessel allowed them to follow them up the coast and watch as they regularly surfaced. The views of the coastline from the water were phenomenal and despite Audrey's embargo, Neil took plenty of pictures.

A short while later, they headed further out to sea and were shortly joined by a large number of dolphins. The captain brought them to a stop and they watched as the pod played about the boat and dived for food.

Neil stood behind Audrey after he saw her shiver a little. His arms were either side of her, effectively trapping her against the railing but she didn't mind at all.

"This is amazing" Audrey said, sounding a little in awe. "I think living in a city has spoilt us" she smiled.

"Are you still hinting at staying here forever" he teased.

"I'd love too" she said, leaving back into him and kissing his cheek.

"We'll do this again, that's for sure. Just with one extra person" he smiled as he moved one hand to rest on her belly.

X

They were back on land an hour later and Audrey suggested going for a coffee instead of going straight back to the Inn.

"Don't you want to put your feet up for a bit before dinner?" Neil asked.

"No, it's ok. Let's make the most of it" she said. That sat in a patio, under a heater sipping at hot chocolates, marvelling at the photographs of their little trip and enjoying their time together.

"Ready to head back" Neil asked as they finished their drinks. "Dinner is at seven and I need a shower. I'm sure I smell like the sea" he grimaced.

"I want to pick something up" she said checking her watch. "Let's go check out a store or two" she said leading the way.

He looked at her, a little confused at her reluctance to go back, but followed her nonetheless.

She eventually found what she wanted in a small store along State Street. She picked up a little bodysuit with the same U.C.S.B logo as their sweaters and held it up to show him.

"Now we can all match" she smiled as she walked past him to the checkout. Checking her watch again, she seemed to nod and announced "Okay, let's go get ready."

Shaking his head at her slightly peculiar behaviour, he followed her out of the store and they headed back to the Inn and on arrival at their room, the odd behaviour continued.

"You shower first" she said shoving him towards the bathroom door.

"Come with me?" he suggested, trying to grab her hand.

"We don't have time" she said, shoving him again and closing the door, signalling the end of that conversation.

Ten minutes later, he emerged with a towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips. She quite obviously looked him up and down which with hindsight, was not the best idea. Denying herself physical contact was getting more tricky so she picked up her things and stalked off to the bathroom. He was surprised to hear her turn the lock to be sure he stayed out.

He sighed and shook his head, she was being weird and he had no idea why. He busied himself getting dressed and by the time she emerged fully dressed, he was also ready.

He looked handsome in his navy trousers which fitted him ever so well. His shirt was also navy, with a pattern of random white flowers which accentuated his strong, toned arms and his shoes were his comfortable brown brogues which he wore whenever he could.

He gave a low whistle when he saw her. She had gone for a lighter shade of blue which suited her complexion perfectly. She was actually wearing a dress which was a rarity so he took his time taking in this look so much more. The dress was a complimentary cut which hugged her in all the right places while flattering her swollen stomach. He appreciated the cut of the neckline as it showed off her cleavage just the right amount and as she turned to pick up her bag, his heart skipped a beat as he saw the cut out where he was just itching to put his hands.

He guided her towards the door with his hand firmly planted in said cut out and whispered in her ear.

"If we don't go now, we're not going at all."

X

They were sat next to each other at a table for two at Due Lune, a quiet Italian restaurant which had been recommended. The tables were all dressed with crisp white tablecloths and linens and it all looked very romantic.

Once they had placed their order for food and drinks with their server, Audrey asked a question that had been nagging at her all day.

"When did you get those photographs from Jo?"

"I called her" her laughed. "I had the idea and wanted to know if she had any shots of us all from the olden days, I figured maybe I could crop some. She surprised me with the others too" he admitted.

"Such an amazing idea" she smiled. "I've looked through it over and over today. And I was thinking about the tickets" she started. "If I can't make it, you should ask Adam."

"Well it's his fault we had to go together, he pulled a sickie" Neil laughed.

"He broke his leg Neil! I don't think he planned it!"

They carried on with the good natured teasing until their server brought dinner. She placed the steaming plates in front of them and excused herself.

Neil had gone with the servers recommendation and ordered Paccheri Siciliana. The large pasta tubes were mixed with a generous serving of swordfish and tuna and coated in the freshest pomodoro sauce he had ever eaten. He offered some up to Audrey who politely refused.

"I don't want to waste the space. This is amazing" she said with a smile as she tucked into her Spaghetti Con Polpette. The house-made meatballs were rather substantial but had been beautifully braised the sauce which kept them wonderfully tender.

They both cleared their plates and sat back feeling pleasantly full. When asked if they wanted dessert, they hesitated, both wanting the other to answer first.

"Yes please" they eventually answered in unison with a smile.

Audrey ordered the smoothest, creamiest cheesecake she had ever eaten and Neil a bowl of gelato, drowned in espresso topped with whipped cream.

By the time they had finished those, they were more than ready to go for a walk to help dinner settle. They settled the bill, leaving a generous tip and headed out towards Stearns Wharf.

They walked at a gentle pace right to the end where they sat a while enjoying the peace and the fresh air. The view back towards shore was beautiful, the lights of Santa Barbara twinkled and the mountains provided a dramatic backdrop and it seemed a fitting way to end what had been a most wonderful trip.

"Ready to head back?" he asked as he noticed her leaning against him more heavily.

"I am" she said smiling up at him. She stood and held out her hand.

X

Back at the Inn, they waited patiently for the elevator, Audrey didn't feel like taking the stairs. The doors opened and a couple stepped out, no doubt heading out for a more rowdy evening than they'd had.

With her bank against the wall, Audrey closed her eyes and put her head on Neil's shoulder. He kissed her forehead and smiled.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Just tired" she admitted. "Maybe I should have had a coffee after dinner!"

"No way!" Neil replied. "You haven't had caffeine for months, you wouldn't sleep for a week if you had it now" he laughed.

"Very true" she chuckled.

They strolled along the corridors to their room so slowly, neither of them were rushing this. Once they woke from their nights sleep tomorrow, this wonderful trip would be over and there would never be another one like it.

Neil fumbled a little with the lock, but eventually they were back in their room. He hung up their jackets and watched as Audrey disappeared into the bathroom.

He took off his clothes, put his pyjama pants on and leaned back into the pillows, getting himself comfortable.

"Don't laugh" is all he heard as Audrey shouted through a crack in the bathroom door.

"Erm, okay" he said, sounding uncertain.

"Close your eyes" she demanded, and he immediately did as he was told.

He heard the door open further and Audrey coming out into the room. She moved a few things here and there and eventually came to a standstill.

"Okay, open your eyes" she said, sounding nervous.

"Wow" was his immediate response which made her blush. "You look... wow."

She stood in her underwear at the side of the bed, nothing particularly fancy, but that wasn't what elicited the response. It was her stomach.

The most intricately detailed, half moon, henna pattern adorned her. The were flowers and patterns weaving across her pronounced belly and it looked truly wonderful.

"Can I touch?" he asked, itching to put his hands on her.

"You can" she smiled. "It's dry now."

He smiled and took a step towards her.

"So this is why you have been stalling all day? I thought the 'don't touch me, it's your fault I'm like this' phase had started" he laughed, earning himself a smack.

"Not at all, quite the opposite in fact, you're too pretty for that phase, don't worry" she smiled. "It took 30 minutes to dry this morning, but then, the longer you leave it on, the longer the design stays. This should last about 6 weeks" she said, smiling widely at his reaction.

"Wow" he said again, seemingly stuck for any sensible words.

"So good news is, now you can touch me all you like."

He didn't need to be told twice and she groaned as his lips and hands began to worship her. How she had held out all day, she didn't know, but he definitely made it worth the wait.


	53. Chapter 53

Their drive back to San Jose was fun. Neil was loving driving the rental, it hugged the road and took the corners amazingly. He was going to be sad to give it back but Audrey was right, they wouldn't be needing a two seater again anytime soon.

In an attempt to prolong their trip as long as possible, they stopped off in Santa Cruz, around an hour from home for a late lunch at The Crows Nest.

Neil filled his stomach with the Seafood Fettucine loaded with scallops, prawns, clams and fresh fish. It was beautifully sautéed with vegetables and tossed with fresh semolina pasta in a smooth creamy alfredo sauce. So good that he mopped up every last bit with the freak bread that came with it.

Audrey snagged a prawn or two from his dish and saved them on the side of her plate for after she'd finished her Chargrilled Ahi Brochette. It was drizzled with a spicy Szechwan sauce and tartar wasabi and served over a soft and fluffy jasmine rice. It was spicier than she expected making her cheeks flush a little.

"You're literally glowing right now" Neil teased as she took a few gulps of her iced water.

"But not pregnancy glow" she laughed. "Spicy food is my thing, this..." she said as she waved her hands by her cheeks. "This better not be permanent!"

"You'll be fine I'm sure, just a little sensitive right now" he said, mentally crossing his fingers. "Fancy getting our toes sandy before we go?"

"Anything to keep this trip going" she said taking his hand across the table. "Going to work tomorrow is going to be total crap."

"They're not going to know what's hit them. You know the aim of this trip was to make sure you're wonderfully relaxed for this last stretch. You can't let the hospital undo all that hard work we've done" he smiled giving her a wink.

"Oh, I won't" she said smiling at him. "I'm not going to let them see this soft squishy side of me..."

Neil responded with a snort and laughed out loud at that.

"What!" she said indignantly. "I'm adorable" she argued, smiling at his reaction.

"You are absolutely adorable to me" he smiled softly. "But let's be honest, everyone else thinks you are terrifying."

"Exactly how I like it" she laughed.

They walked down towards the sand and along to the lighthouse and sat a while and she rested her head on his shoulder. They quietly watched dog walkers, families walking the sand and surfers heading out into the waves.

"Have you remembered the big delivery coming this week?" Audrey asked him as they walked in the breakers back towards the parking lot.

"About 9 weeks early love" he smiled as he gave her a little nudge.

"You're hysterical, you know that? Such a funny guy!" she said sarcastically.

"That's why you married me right?"

"Yes, of course" she said stopping to kiss him. "That, and that you're just so pretty."

X

Arriving home, they pulled up onto the drive and sat in the car looking at the house.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Neil asked, looking over at her.

"That if we don't get out of the car, this trip isn't over? Absolutely!"

"Pretty much" he smiled putting his hand on her thigh. "Can't sit here all night though, come on" he said as he got out and walked around to open Audrey's door. It had taken her a little while to get used to someone being so chivalrous but now she loved it, one of the many ways he showed her just how much he cared.

"I've got to take this bad boy back and pick up your car too" she said gently tapping the roof of the sports car.

"Can't we get one? Seriously? We should have two cars anyway. While your on leave, you'll want the car and I still need to get to work" he suggested hopefully.

"You have a point" she agreed. "We could look into it, maybe get a short lease? People are going to talk though" she teased.

He looked at her, not speaking but raising his eyebrows to question her.

"Late thirties, wife has baby, shows up in fancy sports car... screams midlife crisis!" she laughed as she gently prodded his chest. "With your usual, grumpy 'arrogant asshat' demeanor, it'll be guaranteed, you'll be a middle aged man" she continued as she watched his face change to one of mock horror.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Lim, I'm a nice guy. The 'arrogant asshat' has been tamed by the love of a good woman... or you at least" he smiled as he closed the small gap left between them. "Besides, it's not like I haven't been gossiped about before" he said before kissing her.

X

Two days later, while Audrey was at the hospital the delivery arrived. Box after box was unloaded and carted upstairs and he just stood looking at it for a while before closing the door and going downstairs to start on dinner.

Audrey arrived home in quite the churlish mood. She threw her bag and jacket onto one of the barstools, took a soda from the fridge and walked straight past Neil to sit outside. She flopped down onto one of their usually comfortable outdoor chairs and winced as she landed awkwardly.

He watched for a moment from behind the counter before turning down the cooker top, getting a drink of his own and going to sit on the seat next to her. He didn't speak, he just waited and eventually she erupted.

"This stupid job sucks" she exclaimed, rounding on him. "I literally sat on my arse in meetings all day and do you know what we achieved? Do you?" she ranted.

He remained silent.

"Absolutely nothing!" she continued. "Stupid bureaucracy about where we're spending too much money just for them to end the meeting making no changes at all. What was the point?" she blurted, getting louder.

"This job is nothing but stress. It's a no brainer, money should be spent on patient care and ways to push that forward. Not what kind of desk some board member wants!" she said pausing to take a sip of her drink. She looked over at him and saw him just smiling at her. "What are you smiling at" she snapped.

"Have you quite finished?" he asked her softly.

"I haven't actually" she sniped. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I miss surgery. I really do miss the buzz of actually helping people" she said more gently.

"I know you do" he replied. "But this is a temporary thing remember. Come with me" he said taking her hand and pulling her up.

He led her by the hand upstairs until she stopped halfway.

"It's this your idea of fixing it? Really? I'm not in the mood Neil" she objected stubbornly.

"Shush woman" he said pulling on her hand until she followed him again.

They stopped outside the door next to their room. He stood behind her with one hand on her shoulder while the other reached around to the handle.

"Look" he whispered in her ear as the door swung open. "It's getting fuller" he smiled.

He could see her relax. Her shoulders dropped and she let out a small sigh as she leaned back lightly against him.

"Thank you" she whispered back as she turned slightly to kiss his cheek.

"Always" he replied smiling.

She turned to look at him cupping his face on her hands.

"Let's get dinner sorted. You've got a busy evening" she said kissing him and sauntering away leaving him standing, just shaking his head.

"Yes Ma'am" he quipped in reply. "Dishes are all yours though."


	54. Chapter 54

"There must be someone we can pay to do this" Neil said as he sat in the middle of what was meant to be a changing table.

"Sure there is" Audrey replied. "But I want us to do this. We're educated professionals who work with their hands. It really shouldn't be that difficult."

"You come here and give it a try then" he said laughing. "I'm not even sure these instructions are in English!"

Over the next hour, they worked away on the table. Audrey handing him the fittings he needed and watching with a smile as he concentrated on lining everything up and tightening the screws.

"It's perfect" she smiled as they stood back to admire their handy work. "Told you we could do it."

"We?" he joked suggestively.

"I was an integral part of that build, thank you very much" she grinned. "Imagine how much more stressful it could have been?"

"Yeah, sure thing sweetheart" he replied. "Let's get a drink, that's enough for me for tonight."

"Don't sweetheart me" she said, smacking his arm. "I can still take you!"

"Yes" he smiled. "Yes you can."

X

They sat outside under their wisteria covered pergola, Audrey with a hot chocolate and Neil with a steaming hot coffee. The previous occupants of the house had spent years training the climber up over the wooden structure. After originally planning to clear it to open the space up, they hadn't had time to do it by the first spring they had spent in their home and by then, they'd fallen in love with the sweet smelling flowers.

The weather had been unusually mild for early March so they didn't need the heater but were sat, huddled close together. His feet were stretched out, resting on the small table in front of them while Audrey was curled into his side with her feet tucked underneath her.

The silence was comfortable as it always was, until Audrey began to fidget as if she couldn't get comfortable.

"What are you doing Aud?" Neil said as she elbowed him in the side.

"Nothing! It's fine" she replied, a little abruptly as she stretched out her legs then huffed again when she found she still wasn't comfortable.

"Want me to get out of the way?" he asked.

"No, it's fine" she repeated.

"Need me to do anything?" he dared to ask.

"No I don't!" she snapped followed immediately by "Sorry! Sorry, it's not your fault. I just can't get comfy."

"I figured that" he smiled. "Want to go inside?"

"No, it's nice out. Let's try a distraction" she suggested which gained a smirk in response. "Not like that" she said admonishing him. "Let's talk about birthing classes."

"You actually want to do those?" he asked a little shocked.

"Shouldn't we? I've got no idea what I'm going to be doing, there aren't many kids in my family that I could practice on."

"I suppose" he replied. "There are a tonne of kids in my family but Mom said 'nothing is like having your own'" he said using air quotes, making Audrey laugh.

"I'll look some up tomorrow while you're at the hospital" she smiled.

"Deal" he said smiling at her as she stifled a yawn. "You sure you don't want to head inside? You've had a long day."

"Doing nothing" she reminded him. "But yes, I do want to go to sleep for a week" she laughed.

He stood and held out his hands to pull her up. "Few more weeks and we'll be back to Med School tired" he smiled.

"Can't wait" she replied, yawning again.

X

Neil left for work early the next morning and snuck out quietly before she woke. He'd dropped a little kiss to her temple and she hadn't even stirred. She was bone weary.

She woke gently, stretching out her arm. Feeling his side of the bed already cold, she lifted her head to check the time and smiled when she saw it was past 9.

Sliding her feet into her slippers, she stood and picked up Neil's hoody from last night, holding it to her and taking a deep breath. She pulled it over her head and headed downstairs to get her coffee.

Sat at the breakfast bar, she sipped from her steaming hot mug while picking away at a bowl of fruit. She was scrolling down the screen on the tablet, looking at the classes they'd discussed last night.

Opening an new tab, she pasted a couple of links and sent them off to Neil to pick up when he had the chance.

A couple of hours later, her phone rang and she smiled as she picked it up and saw the screen lit up with a photograph from their recent trip. She stared for a couple of seconds longer than she meant too and shook her head, smiling to herself.

"Hi" he said when she eventually answered the call.

"Hi" she replied smiling to herself.

"Sleep ok?" he asked, she could hear him smiling over the phone.

"Like a baby" she replied. "Thanks for not waking me this morning. I needed that."

"I figured" he laughed. "I checked out the links you sent. What were you thinking?"

"I'm leaning towards the classes at the hospital. Makes it easier with work and we get the grand tour and stuff."

"You know we can get the grand tour whenever we like right? We have some clout around here, you know?!" he quipped.

"Yeah I figured, but I don't like getting special treatment. It makes me uncomfortable" she said. "I'm already freaking a little about people I work with seeing bits of me they aren't meant to see" she grimaced.

He laughed out loud at that one but he knew she was pretty serious about it. Her private life had always been just that, nothing had changed since their residency days in that respect. The people who needed to know, knew it all and that was it. She had never been the subject of gossip or rumours despite those early years and some of the situations they got themselves into.

He was quite the opposite. He had always worn his heart on his sleeve, part of the reason she loved him so much. He'd been gossiped about, publically dated plenty of women and almost married the granddaughter of the hospital founder. It was almost as though he didn't know the meaning of the word private.

Because of these differences, they weren't into big displays of public affection in work unless they deemed it absolutely necessary. They didn't hold hands walking through the carpark or embrace each other unless they were in private. Some days, things happened where they would just need a hug from the person they loved but it was always behind closed doors.

"You want to look at a clinic or something instead? You don't have to have the baby at the hospital" he reminded her.

"I know, I know" she replied. "But St. Bonaventure has the best of the best. If anything goes wrong..." she started.

"None of that" he interrupted. "But I know what you mean" he finished.

"I'm just going to have to suck it up aren't I" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes" he replied. "Practise what you preach, relax and let the professionals handle it."

"I'll book the classes" she said. "I'll let you know the dates so you can work around them."

"Can't wait" he replied.

"Really?"

"No, it'll be excruciating!" he laughed. "But if these classes give us the illusion that we're ready to have a kid, then let's do it. We'll figure the rest out afterwards!"

"I love you, you know?"

"I know" he smiled. "And we'll be brilliant because of it." 


	55. Chapter 55

Over the next week, Neil and his 'helper' built the furniture for the nursery and after a few different attempts, they finally had it in a position that Audrey was happy with.

With the room painted and the furniture in, they actually felt like they were getting somewhere and had celebratory tacos for dinner that evening. Unfortunately, the feeling was short lived and with birthing classes booked at the hospital and the non-shower due over the next couple of weeks, their focus was brought swiftly back to just how little time was left.

Sat in the family room one evening, Neil was doing a bit of research for a case while Audrey watched Iron Man for the millionth time, when suddenly she paused the movie and sat up to look at him.

"You've got to tell me what Laura has planned for this shower" she demanded. He put his laptop to one side and turned to look at her.

"No I don't" he replied, wanting to laugh but also wanting to live.

"Please" she said. "Don't make me beg."

"Now, I would give my last dollar to see you beg Audrey Lim" he laughed.

"Please" she said again.

"Sorry Aud, but no" he countered. "But how long have you known Laura?"

"Almost forever" she said.

"So she knows you pretty well right?" he smiled and she nodded her response. "She's not going to make you uncomfortable on purpose. Trust her... and me, for the little bit I've been involved in."

"Et tu, Brute?" she said dramatically clutching her chest.

"'Fraid so" he laughed. "You'll enjoy it, I promise" he smiled leaning in to kiss her.

"I don't think so traitor" she teased, trying to lean out of reach, but finding her back coming onto contact with the arm of the sofa.

He sat back and laughed as she huffed her protest and sat looking at him while he casually ignored her and turned his attention back to the screen. Feeling the seat at the side of him dip, he continued to smile to himself as she moved closer.

"I bet I could torture you into telling me" she whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine and he squeezed his eyes shut until it passed.

They had been a very physical couple from the start of their relationship. From the light, discreet touches during their residency years to their first mind blowing night together they both agreed on one thing. It had only got better over time.

She began her torture by kissing him lightly behind his ear and moving down his neck, pulling his collar down slightly. His eyes stayed closed but his head lolled onto the back of the sofa which just served to open up more skin to Audreys assault and he let out a groan as she moved to sit across his lap.

"I've changed my mind" she smiling down at him. "I'm not going to beg... you are."

"Do your worst" he smiled confidently. "I can take it."

X

As it turned out, he really could take it and the weekend of the non-shower arrived with Audrey still non the wiser. She still had seven weeks to go at this point but there were a few time sensitive aspects to the event that Laura had planned so carefully that the early date was set.

Neil's first job of the day was to get Audrey out of the house for a couple of hours. He quite simply announced that he was taking her for breakfast that morning while Laura set up and she happily complied.

Once she had learned that they were going to host the event at their home, and the threat of a public spectacle had passed, she relaxed a little. Not so far as to embrace it entirely, but she certainly was not as anxious about it as she had been.

They headed out to a favourite of theirs called Bills Cafe and settled into a corner booth after patiently waiting in line. Being regular visitors they knew the portion sizes would be too big for one so they shared the Chorizo Scramble and ordered a couple of coffees.

They plate arrived as expected, loaded with Mexican Chorizo, avocado, onions and tomatoes mixed in with the best scrambled egg in town. It was topped with melting cheddar and served with a fresh salsa on the side which was a particular favourite of Neils. Audrey commandeered the serving of hash browns and they shared the granary toast.

They never rushed the meals they ate together, which was another throwback to their early friendship. Meals during shifts were always eaten at speed and on many an occasion, you would be lucky to sit down and eat at all. The meals they ate together were also a way of stealing time together through those years where they pretended to be just friends.

Neil had always been a fantastic cook and had introduced Audrey to some wonderful cuisines as the years passed. She had come a long way from the day's where she ate almost the same lunch daily and now relished in the enjoyment of food. She loved watching him move around their kitchen at home throwing things together that she would never have considered and on occasion she would help out with varying degrees of success.

He was actually looking forward to stocking up their freezer for when he returned to work and she was certainly looking forward to helping empty it again. She was currently more focused on filling a playlist with music she thought she would listen to during labour which she was finding challenging enough.

Once they were finished and feeling pleasantly plump, the plates were cleared away and they walked back to the car at a leisurely pace. He made a quick call to Laura as he walked around to his side, just to check that the coast was clear and dropped into the driver's seat.

"You ready?" he asked, smiling over at her any putting his hand on her knee.

"As I'll ever be" she replied putting her hand on his and smiling back.

"Good. Let's go" he grinned, starting the ignition and pulling away from the kerb.

X

After driving the slightly longer way home for a few extra minutes, they pulled up on to the driveway, passing by a few additional vehicles she recognised which made her to smile quietly to herself.

The were no other discernible signs that anything different was going on inside which was certainly a good start.

He opened her door and held out his hand to help her up. She didn't let go as he led her to the front door and turned the handle.

"Hang on" she said, pulling back a little and he turned to face her. "Your staying right?"

"I'm not going anywhere" he said lifting her hand to his lips. "Let's go, people are waiting."

He led her through to her sitting room and turned to watch her face as she took in the scene. She had a small smile on her face as people greeted her with smiles, little hugs and a few kisses. Avery came running to say hi and as she was distracted, a couple made their way to the forefront, eager to be next to greet her.

As she straightened up again, she looked straight into two faces which caused her eyes to widen and clap her hands to her mouth to stifle a gasp. She took one of them in each arm and hugged them close, closing her eyes trying not to get overwhelmed.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked as she loosened her grip to look at their faces. "I've missed you so much." 


	56. Chapter 56

He smiled as he watched her engage with all the friends and family that had come to wish them well. She had forgotten that he was there for now and had barely looked around at the decor and the food, that would come later.

Meandering through to the kitchen, he smiled at the breakfast bar loaded with all of Audrey's favourites. Freshly made Empanadas from his Mom and her favourite Rice Stuffed Chicken Wings from Su took pride of place with no cutesy cupcakes anywhere in sight.

Grabbing himself a coffee from the pot, he stepped through the open bi-fold doors onto the covered paved area. It was quite peaceful compared to the scene indoors as he found himself alone, with just the music from the sound system for company.

He must have stood longer than he realised just daydreaming and was startled by Audrey clearing her throat dramatically from the doorway.

"So this is where you are hiding" she teased, walking towards him. He nodded sheepishly.

"You didn't seem to need me for a bit so I thought I'd grab a drink" he said holding up his mug as if to present his defence.

"I'll allow it" she smiled as she stood next to him. "I needed five minutes away from the crazy too."

"It's ok though, right?" he asked, a little concerned they'd pushed her too far.

"It's great" she said taking his hand. "Thank you."

"Thank Laura, not me" he said graciously, smiling and turning to face her.

"Oh, I suspect some if this is your doing" she replied. "Like the surprise guests?"

"Maybe" he replied, leaning in to kiss her as a distraction. "A good surprise though right" he mumbled into her lips feeling her smile.

"The best" she replied as she moved to run her fingers into his hair to pull him closer. He happily obliged and snaked his free hand around her waist until they were as close as they could manage.

"You two should get a room" they heard from the doorway. Recognising the voice, they didn't leap apart but stood grinning at each other like idiots.

"Took you long enough" Jo said, stepping outside followed by Kevin. "I still can't quite believe this" she said hugging Audrey for the millionth time so far today and holding her at arms length to appreciate her form.

"I think it suits her" Neil smiled.

"Always knew it would" smiled Kevin. "I'm so happy for you guys" he said gently rubbing the top of Audrey's stomach.

"This baby is going to be beautiful" Jo smiled softly. "I wish you'd give us some clues though so we have a chance in the pool they've got going on in there" she teased.

"Sorry" Audrey said, shaking her head. "We really don't know. After everything it took to get to this point, we figured we'd just carry on with the surprises" she laughed.

"Fair point" she agreed. "Just going to have to use the extensive knowledge I picked up on my OB rotation instead!"

"Yeah sure, good luck with that" Neil teased. "Come on, let's get back inside. We'll see plenty of these mugs later, they're staying here tonight" he said watching her eyes widen.

"Excellent" she said, taking his hand and leading him back inside followed by their guests.

X

The non-shower was going great and Laura was impressed with how Audrey was handling the attention. She had set up a table for people to leave small gifts in the hall and it was currently stacked high. After having to prise the remainder of their registry from them to share out, it seemed that people had been exceedingly generous. They weren't going to open any gifts while their guests were here, but she knew that the couple would graciously thank each person after the event.

The response to the invitations had been overwhelming and every person she approached on their strict list had rsvp'd yes. They had gone for a co-ed event as Audrey requested, joking that she didn't actually have enough female friends to make a party because her Mom and Aunts didn't count. Laura had her suspicions that it was a suggestion with the intention of keeping Neil around just in case she started to feel uncomfortable with all the attention.

She had decorated the sitting room and kitchen with some superhero bunting and balloons which Audrey loved. She found it particularly cute watching Neil carry Avery around, getting her to try and say the names with mixed results. There was a small pile of cards on a side table where people were being encouraged to place wagers on gender, date and weight with a prize being offered in each category.

And then there was the buffet. Laura had enlisted Neil and Audrey's Mom's to put on a fine spread. Between them, they produced all of Audrey's favourites and as expected, far too much of it. They had been such a help, she wasn't quite sure she could have got it all done that morning without them.

The breakfast bar was stacked with everything from Scallion pancakes and cold noodle salad to Tortila Espanola and Miguelitos and Audrey's mouth had been watering since she arrived. They were quite sure they'd be eating leftovers for the rest of the week which was absolutely fine by her.

X

After spending a few hours chatting and catching up with their friends the crowd started to naturally thin out. A few had to head out to work and that started the natural winding down of the event.

Kevin and Jo were sat out in the garden regaling since others with stories from their past and how they had always been rooting for the couple. Audrey could hear them from the kitchen and caught herself laughing out loud listening to some of the stupid things they used to do in such obvious denial.

Looking around, she noticed Neil was AWOL again and she gave a sigh.

"What's wrong" Su asked her, looking concerned.

"Neil has done another bunk" she said with a little laugh.

"I doubt he's gone far" her Mom said. "He doesn't normally" she winked causing Audrey to roll her eyes.

"I'm going to see if I can find him. Some people are looking to head out and he'll want to say goodbye."

Her Mom nodded and waved her away.

Her first stop was their bedroom. She doubted he would be in there but figured she'd use a process of elimination and get a little peace and quiet at the same time. As she passed the nursery, she stopped to take a quick look and smiled to herself. The room was tranquil and she looked and smiled at the attention to detail. The was not much left to do apart from find a place for the generous gifts in the hall downstairs. That, and finding a home for the parcel that Audrey had stashed in there yesterday away from Neil's prying eyes.

Lost in thought, she startled as the bathroom door behind her opened and Laura emerged.

"Sorry" she said. "The cloakroom was occupied."

"No problem" Audrey smiled. "Not like you haven't been up here before."

"True" Laura agreed. "I haven't seen in there since you guys decorated though. May I?"

"Of course" Audrey replied, gesturing her friend towards the door.

"Wow! Did Neil do this?" she asked.

"Yeah" Audrey replied with a faraway little smile. "He did a good job."

"He did an amazing job" Laura countered. "If the heart surgery thing ever gets boring, he's got a new career right here" she laughed.

"Talking of... have you seen him?"

"Sure, he's watching Avery for me for a bit. She started to get a bit cranky after missing her nap so he offered" Laura smiled. "He's so good with her. If you guys have a girl, he's going to be wrapped around her little finger!"

"No doubt" Audrey smiled.

"Let's go find them" Laura suggested, turning to head downstairs.

"I'll be right down, two minutes" Audrey replied letting her friend go ahead.

Looking back to the room, she felt her heart swell a little. She rested her hands atop of her stomach and smiled to herself. Her Neil loved her so much and was never afraid to show it, she couldn't wait to see him love this baby just as much, probably more, she thought to herself.

'Definitely lucked out' she thought to herself, smiling and pulling the door too.

X

"Found them" Laura said in a stage whisper, pointing to the family room. "Go see."

Standing, peering around the doorway, she saw them sat on the couch in the family room. Neil was slouched in his seat with his legs stretched right out in front of him. This put him and Avery almost shoulder to shoulder as she watched the cartoon and as he listened intently to her trying to explain the finer points of Doc McStuffins.

The movement in the doorway caught his attention and he shifted his focus, smiling a little sheepishly.

"This is totally inaccurate" he whispered as Audrey came to sit gently the other side of Avery. "She's way too young to be qualified. Must have been an online school" he smiled, nodding at the television.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she smiled softly at him.

"Yeah" he agreed. "Wanna watch a bit with us?"

"Maybe later, we've got to go say some goodbyes" she said quietly, not to disturb the focus of the toddler next to them.

"Be right back Monito" Neil whispered to Avery, who didn't even take her eyes from the screen. Holding his hand out to Audrey to help her up, he laughed as she slapped it away.

"I'm not that useless yet" she said smiling. "I can still get up by myself... just!"

X

Once the last guests left, just a small group of them remained and the clear up started. They boxed up some food for Gabi to take back to the group home with her and laughed as she stashed some of the decorations to put up in her room. Audrey's love of comics had rubbed off on her and the Marvel movies were now up there as her favourites.

Their parents and relatives left next, Neil's parents were travelling home that night and didn't want to leave to late. By Sofias account, Ben wasn't very good at driving in the dark however he argued good naturedly that he was still a better driver than her, considering she didn't even have her license.

Audrey's Mom gave her a big hug and headed out to her car the same time as Laura. Neil was carrying Avery who would likely be asleep before they pulled off the driveway and they snuck some balloons into the trunk for her to have later.

"Thank you" Audrey said as pulled Laura in to a great big hug. "It was perfect" she smiled.

"No problem" she replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed. Your house is great for little parties, you should have more" she teased, watching as Audrey squirmed at the thought.

"I don't think it'll be as regular thing" she laughed. "But now and again I think I can cope with!"

Waving them off from the doorstep, they both let out a sigh as they stepped inside and closed the door, not necessarily from relief but just at the appreciation of the sound of silence.

"Thank you for this" she said cupping his face in her hands and kissing him, smiling to herself as he immediately shifted to deepen their contact.

"I must admit you've surprised me these last few weeks. But not as much as I think you surprised yourself" he smiled as she kissed him again.

"Your right" she smiled. "I'm very lucky to have you help me navigate all this stuff, could never have done it otherwise."

"Lucky eh?" he smirked, before moving to place small kisses down her neck, promoting a small groan. "I'm the lucky one and I've been wanting to do this all day" he said smiling against her skin as he gave a little nip before soothing it with yet another kiss.

"Seriously, don't you guys have a room" they heard from Jo as she passed to use the cloakroom. "Your going to scar me for life!"

They laughed as they reluctantly parted and headed into the kitchen where they found Kevin with his head in the fridge, quite clearly making himself at home.

"Beer?" he asked holding out a bottle to Neil.

"Sure, thanks" he said removing the top and taking a long draw. "You're DES" he winked at Audrey as they moved to sit outside again.

"Come on Lim" Jo explained in passing. "We've got some catching up to do!" 


	57. Chapter 57

**Had some really great and thoughtful reviews for this story recently, thanks so much. Very kind of you all :-)  
**

They spent the rest of the afternoon sat out in the garden, turning on the heaters as the evening chill came in. Neil ordered in some pizza and they sat catching up for hours. Jo had commandeered the egg shaped hanging chair early on and had barely left it the whole time. They joked that one more glass of wine and she would be sleeping in there for the night. It was normally Audrey's seat, but in her current condition she didn't want to risk getting in, and getting stuck.

Audrey quietly watched and listened. She sat next to Neil on the softly cushioned rattan sofa, tucked into his side. His legs were stretched out onto the low table in front of them with his beer resting on his thigh. His arm was around her shoulder, holding her close and every now and then, during a break in the conversation he would drop a light kiss on her temple.

Kevin was holding the floor with tales from his current job. Such an exciting role for him, he had truly found his vocation and they were all so very proud of him. As the current story was winding up, Neil turned to kiss her temple but this time she shifted to look back at him.

"You ok?" he whispered not to disturb the conversation.

"Yeah" she smiled. "Just tired. Happy and tired."

"You want to head up?" he asked.

"No, at the risk of sounding soppy, I don't want this to end" she smiled.

He smiled widely and kissed her fully on the lips to a small chorus of 'aaaahhh' from Kevin and Jo.

"I still have to pinch myself sometimes that this is actually happening" Jo said, smiling over at them. "After all the 'stupid' we had to go through with you two, I honestly never thought we'd get here."

"Hear, hear" sounded Kevin. "This was truly a team effort" he smiled raising his bottle in a toast.

"Well, we're sorry" Neil replied sarcastically with a smile. "We promise not to do it again."

"We had actually been wanting to speak to you guys about something" Audrey said sitting up a little. "Now seems to be a good time right?" she said glancing at Neil who gave a nod.

"So seeing as you guys are our biggest fans" she started. "We were wondering if you would like to be Godparents?"

The question was met with silence.

Kevin sat with his mouth open, speechless for pretty much the first time ever. Jo sat up in the seat causing it to start swinging back and forth.

"Are you for real?" Jo asked, stabilising the seat and pulling herself to her feet.

"Of course, we wouldn't have anyone else" Neil smiled.

With that, Kevin pulled Audrey to her feet and engulfed her completely in a hug. Jo took Neil's face in her hand and kissed him square on the lips.

"Absolutely yes!" she exclaimed to a peal of laughter.

"I'd be honoured" Kevin said once he loosened his grip on Audrey.

"Great" Audrey smiled. "We weren't sure what you'd say especially after you didn't make the wedding" she teased.

"Ooohhh, that was below the belt" Kevin laughed. "Normally just where I like it, but not today!"

"We know, we know, she can't resist teasing tipsy Kevin, he always bites easily" Neil laughed. "We know it was a bit tricky getting back from the other side of the world with only six weeks notice. Sorry about that."

"And my Chief of Surgery didn't care how long I'd been waiting for that day. It was a flat out no! He has issues with social interactions, we're working on it" Jo grumbled.

"This kid is lucky to have you" Audrey smiled. "Just as we are."

X

The rest of the visit flew by faster than any of them would have liked. They spent every waking minute together, talking, laughing and ridiculing Neil's tastes in music as they recovered their youth dancing around the downstairs.

Music had been a massive part of their relationship from the start. From dancing the stresses of work away to all sorts of music in all sorts of bars around San Jose, to some rather memorable live music events. They had danced together for all occasions during the last ten years, despite some saying they had spent that decade dancing around each other instead!

When they bought their home, Neil insisted on a state of the art sound system which Audrey argued initially was a waste of money. That opinion changed over the last year, and she loved nothing more than coming home to find Neil singing along in the kitchen to some sappy Country song. She would never admit it publically, but she rather enjoyed swaying away to a bit of George Strait or Hunter Hayes.

Saying goodbye to their friends again was hard but duty called. They left each other with promises that they would see each other very soon knowing that the next time they got together, there would be whole new person in the mix.

After waving their friends off from the front step, they closed the door, locked it and walked back towards the kitchen.

"Ssshhhh!" Neil whispered putting his finger to his lips. "Listen to that."

"What?" Audrey asked looking confused. "I don't hear anything?"

"Exactly" Neil smiled. "As great as it's been the last couple of days, the quiet is nice" he said drawing her into his arms.

"I've got something to show you" Audrey said suddenly. "Wait here and come up when I call you, okay?"

"Okaaaaay" he replied as he perched himself onto a stool by the breakfast bar. He smiled to himself as he watched her leave, her had always enjoyed doing that. He had noticed that her gait had changed the last week and he could tell that she was starting to feel the extra weight she carried up front. He made a mental note to do a little research online to see if he could help her with that.

"Hey Neil!" he heard from upstairs. From the tone, he got the feeling that she'd had to call him more than once so he shifted top climb the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Where are you?" he called as he hit the landing.

"In here" she called from their bedroom.

He poked his head around the door to see her standing next to the bed. She nodded towards the flat surface and felt a little choked as she saw his face soften as he took in the sight.

"You liked them then?" he said as he moved to stand behind her, putting his arms around her and resting his hand on her stomach.

"Yeah" she replied, smiling as Neil rested his chin on her shoulder and kissing her just underneath her ear. "I've got no idea where to put them mind."

"In here of course" he said plainly. "You look beautiful, I could quite easily look at them all day."

"You don't look to bad yourself Melendez" she teased. "Not sure I want our visitors ogling you either."

"In here then, or the office?" he suggested.

"Too distracting" she laughed. "In here is good" she said stretching around to kiss him.

"I'll put them up later, got something I want to do first" he said smiling against her lips before deepening their kiss.

X

A fortnight later, they stood waiting with a group of six other couples, ready to take a tour if the labour suites at St Bonaventure. Waiting by the nurses station they began to feel as though they were on show the longer they were there. Eventually the practitioner arrived to begin the tour and as she passed by them, she did a double take to which they both smiled sheepishly.

"Dr Lim" the practitioner started quietly before Audrey held up her hand.

"Audrey and Neil today please" she smiled softly, shaking her head. "We don't want any fuss please."

"Of course, I understand" she smiled. "If you'd like to follow me" she announced to the group, as she turned to start the tour.

They hung to the back of the group as they moved around, feeling a little self conscious as they passed people in the hall who obviously knew who they were. After viewing the delivery suites and other medical facilities, they were all herded into a room where they would be thoroughly educated on childbirth.

Audrey had researched the classes thoroughly and they had settled on a whole day course which fitted in more easily with their schedules. The person taking the classroom aspect was a certified childbirth educator and as she stepped out to get some materials both Neil and Audrey let out an audible sigh.

"Are you ok" one of the other ladies asked Audrey, looking concerned.

"We're fine, thanks" she replied with a smile. "It's all a bit... weird for us. We work here and I'm currently revaluating my decision to give birth here."

This prompted a concerned look from more than one of the couple's who were listening in on the conversation.

"Not in that way" Neil added quickly glancing at Audrey with a frown. "We're just feeling a little like we're in a goldfish bowl right now. Lots of people looking at us."

"Well, we don't mind" one father piped up. "We've been on one of these before and right now, we're being treated like royalty in comparison. Please stay!" he laughed, breaking the tension and raising some laughter.

"Sure thing" Audrey smiled just as the educator returned.

"Everyone ready?" she asked as she took her position at the front. It was met with a sea of nodding heads to which she smiled and announced "let's get started!'

Hours later, with comfort and food breaks of course, they were dismissed from class and sent on their way with a bunch of literature to read at home. Feeling somewhat more prepared, they chatted amongst themselves as they headed off the ward.

"Excuse me, Neil, Audrey. Do you have a moment?" the nurse in charge called after them.

They stopped and turned to see what she needed. She had a small smile on her face and seemed stuck for words.

"Are you ok?' Neil asked, trying to encourage her to speak.

"Yes, Dr Melendez" she started. "It's just... it's just, I wanted to give you some reassurance of our discretion" she smiled. "I think today caught a few of my staff off guard but now we just wanted to reassure you that you will be treated like any other patient when the time comes"

"Thank you" Audrey smiled. "It's going to be weird for everyone involved. But you're the best of the best here and I wouldn't want to go anywhere else."

"Thank you, that means a lot. See you soon, we hope" she smiled.

"Not to soon" Neil quipped which earned a stern look from both of them. "See you soon" he added quickly.

They left the ward more relaxed than they arrived, which was the whole purpose of the day.

"Feeling ok" Neil asked, noticing she was a bit quiet walking back to the car. They had parked in the visitor's lot in order to avoid as many people as possible which was a good idea on arrival but unfortunately, was a long walk back after a long day.

"I'm ok" she replied. "Just thinking."

"Anything you want to share."

"Not right now" she smiled.

"Okay" he replied just as they reached the car. Opening her door, he held her hand as she gingerly lowered herself into the passenger seat. 'Let me know if you change your mind, okay?"

"Sure thing" she agreed, smiling up at him. The classes had given them a lot to think about.


	58. Chapter 58

The next couple of weeks passed in a blur and outside of work, they spent most of their spare time focused on getting ready for baby Melendez. They laundered the tiniest clothes they swore they'd ever seen, fitted the car seat into the Tesla and packed a hospital bag ready for the big day.

They obviously knew the route to the hospital with their eyes closed along with a number of alternatives if they hit traffic. With Audrey intending on working until the very last minute, she was half hoping she'd go into labour on rota and save some of the drama.

Their evenings were spent curled up together in the family room, randomly adding songs to the playlist while vetoing others, watching movies and sports and talking. The was lots of talking.

After the birth classes, they both had questions for each other. Neil made meticulous notes on Audreys pain management plan and was under strict instruction that he was not to deviate from it under any circumstance. Audrey on the other hand, was feeling a little more embarrassed about her concerns.

"How are we expected to go so long afterwards without... you know. It?" she asked, feeling a little silly.

He looked at her with a smirk on his face.

"Come on Aud, we're all adults here" he laughed. "You can use the actual words, you know."

"Shut up! she exclaimed and thumped his arm.

Rubbing his upper arm, he leaned closer in an effort to kiss her. She leaned back out of reach.

"Seriously, we've never gone that long without having sex Neil. It's going to be..."

"Amazing" he interrupted. "It's going to be amazing. We're going to be exhausted looking after Mi Mundo here. It probably won't even cross our minds" he smiled rubbing his hand gently on her stomach.

"But..."

"And if it does" he said moving closer. "There are plenty of other things we can try to satisfy those needs" he mumbled as he started nibbling at her neck. "Would you like a demonstration?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

"Point taken" she smiled as she let him show her exactly what he meant.

X

The following week in work had been relentless and Audrey headed up to bed early that evening. It had been a long day of meetings at the hospital and she was feeling a little under the weather. Neil suggested that she go ahead and get some rest and for the first time, maybe in forever, she didn't argue.

He was stood in the family room pressing his shirts in front of a baseball game when he looked up to see her standing in the doorway.

"You ok?" he asked, taking in the frown on her face.

"Something is going on" she said quite plainly.

"Okay" he replied, putting the iron down on the stand. "Something like what?" he asked.

"I'm feeling really, really uncomfortable" she replied, rubbing her stomach. "I'm getting pains."

"Come here, sit down" he said calmly, moving the laundry out of the way and clearing space on the sofa.

"It's too early" she said quietly, looking worried.

"It's just two weeks. It's early, but it's not too early. Don't worry" he replied trying to be the voice of reason when in reality, thoughts were running through his head at a million miles per hour.

"What are you feeling exactly?" he asked. He wasn't an expert by any means but he wanted her to try and stay logical.

"It's a sharp pain, like a stitch" she replied running her the lower right part of her stomach. "It won't go away."

"How long has it been there?"

"Since this morning" she replied wincing, expecting some sort of dressing down.

"Let's ring your doctor" he suggested. "See what they say."

After speaking with her doctors office for what felt like an eternity, Audrey hung up the phone.

"What's happening?" Neil asked as she sat back next to him. He had cleared the laundry away and fixed her a drink while she was on the call, she would only have got stressed with him sat waiting there, watching her.

"They suggested I go in, get myself hooked up to some monitors and let them check me over" she said sounding glum.

"Okay, let's do it" Neil replied. "We'll put your bag in the trunk just in case." He held out his hand to see if she wanted help getting up, and for the first time she took it.

"Neil, I'm scared" she said quietly.

"No need" he smiled, trying to reassure her. "You've been feeling movement as usual today?"

As if on cue, baby performed a good stretch and she nodded. "Fine all day, no change" she confirmed.

"Good, then lets go" he said smiling at her. He held out his hands to help her up and as she got to her feet, she winced again.

"They're going to think I'm an idiot if this is nothing" she groaned.

"They'll think nothing of the sort" he said. "Don't worry."

X

It was late by the time they arrived at the hospital and Neil ushered Audrey inside before anyone could make eye contact, let alone say hello.

After being shown to a room, someone was along quickly to hook her up to the monitors and perform an examination. The heart monitor set a steady rhythm like a steam train which provided them with some relief but they were assured that they would check her most thoroughly. The internal exam confirmed that she was not currently in labour, another good sign.

Neil sat quietly by her side, watching everything like a hawk while holding on to her hand. An RN wheeled in an ultrasound and rolled Audreys shirt a little higher. Spreading the cold gel over her exposed belly made her gasp and she squeezed Neil's hand as the tech started to move the wand back and forth.

Neil lifted her hand to his lips and held it there. They didn't look at each other, but just stared at the grey and white screen in front of them.

After a few minutes of silence, the longest of their lives, they heard "everything looks fine" and they both let out the breaths they were holding.

"We'll keep you here for a few hours, and keep checking in on you. But for now, I'll get some Tylenol and you need to get some rest" she smiled as she handed over some paper towels to Neil.

He gently cleaned the gel away, getting a few good shoves from the baby while doing so which got a big smile from Audrey.

"You need anything?" he asked her. "I can run to the cafeteria?"

"I'm fine. I just want to sleep" she replied, yawning. "You're staying right?"

"I'm not going anywhere" he smiled at her. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

When she finally woke, almost five hours later, his head was resting next to their joined hands and he was fast asleep. She shifted slightly so she could stroke his hair to stir him and he mumbled something incoherent.

She stirred him again and he blinked and scrunched up his eyes as they adjusted to the light.

"You alright?" he asked his voice thick with sleep.

"Pain seems to have gone, and I'm feeling ok" she said, smiling down at him.

"They've been checking on you every half hour through the night. They only stopped about 4am" he smiled, sitting up and stretching his neck.

"Really? I didn't realise."

"I know! You didn't even stir " he smiled, but still looking worried behind the tiredness. "Want some breakfast? I can go get something from downstairs?"

"Yes please" she smiled, running her fingers through his hair and bringing her hand to rest on his cheek. "I'm starving."

"Be right back" he smiled, leaning in to kiss her gently before rushing out to get to the cafeteria before it got busy.

X

His efforts to remain under the radar were scuppered when he ran into Dr Andrews getting his morning coffee.

"Going for a more casual look on today's shift are we, Dr Melendez?" Andrews asked, looking Neil up and down curiously.

Neil looked at his watch to see that it was almost 8am and he was still dressed in his faded black jeans and t-shirt from the night before topped off with a pair of scruffy sneakers.

"Crap" he said rubbing his hand over his face. "I didn't even notice the time."

"All ok Neil?" Andrews asked looking genuinely concerned.

"Sure" he replied. "Audrey had to come in last night. Everything seems to be fine but we had a bit if a scare" he said.

"You're meant to be starting work in an hour?" Andrews reminded him.

"I know, I'm sorry..." he started but stopped when Andrews raised his hand.

"Take her home. Get her comfortable and come in around lunch time. We can cover for you" he said quietly. "She's carrying some precious cargo there, she needs to take care."

"She's due in tomorrow but I don't expect to see her for the rest of this week. Doctors orders, tell her" he smiled.

Neil's shoulders visibly slumped as he felt the relief wash over him.

"Thank you Dr Andrews" he said.

"Just don't let word get around about this, it'll ruin my reputation" he laughed. "See you later" he said clapping Neil on the shoulder and heading towards the elevators.

Heading back upstairs with a fresh pastry and a steaming hot coffee, he was thinking of ways he could try and persuade Audrey that she wasn't to come in for the next few days.

Knocking gently on the door and hearing her call, he entered brandishing his wares.

"They've discharged me" she smiled, opening the paper bag and taking a deep breath. "We can go when we're ready."

"We need to talk first" he braved. "About you and work."

"What about it?"

"I saw Andrews downstairs" he started. "He knows what happened last night and suggested that maybe you take the rest of the week off" he said bracing himself for a dressing down.

It didn't come and Audrey just sat looking at her coffee cup. She rested her hand on top of her belly and smiled as she felt the tiny person inside pushing back against her.

"You and Andrews are right" she said quietly to Neil's surprise.

"Pardon? Did you just say I was right?"

"Yes I did you Asshat, don't push it" Audrey smiled. "I'm thinking I'll take the rest of the week off."

"And next week?"

"I have the last of the interviews for next year's residents. I'd like to get those done if possible" she said. "But that's it for me. My priorities just shifted somewhat" she smiled.

He breathed a sigh of relief that they weren't going to argue about this.

While she ate her breakfast, Neil moved around the room stuffing the few things they had used back into the overnight bag and by the time he was finished, she had hey shoes on ready to go.

"Ready?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"Yes" she smiled softly.

"Then let's go home" he smiled, kissing her quickly before opening the door and leading the way.


	59. Chapter 59

Arriving home, Neil was pleasantly surprised to see Audrey kick off her sneakers and head straight to the family room. She got herself comfortable with her feet tucked up beside her and pulled down the throw draped across the back to cover them.

After taking the bag upstairs and replacing the few bits they had used, he took it back and dropped it in the hall, in case they needed it sooner rather than later.

Grabbing her a bottle of water and a banana he perched by her feet, watching her.

"Can I help you?" she asked him, taking the bottle with a smile.

"You're going to stay put, right?" he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I may move to the other end of the sofa later, and get up to use the bathroom a few million times" she said with a chuckle. "But I'll be staying put."

He nodded, unsure of quite what to say to calm and relaxed Audrey. Looking at her sat there he just smiled.

"I've got to go, and I might have to hang on a bit tonight. Show some goodwill to Andrews, you know" he said. "Can I get you anything else before I head out?"

"I think I can manage" she smiled. "You go, I'll see you later."

He stood to leave but leaned back down to kiss her before he did. She smiled against his lips.

"I love you, you know" she said cupping his face in her hands. "Pass me the tablet before you go please."

"I love you too" he smiled. "Here you go. No shopping sprees while I'm gone."

X

The focus of Neil's attention for the coming week was a regular patient. Michael Kim had been a coming to St Bonaventure longer than Neil had been there himself.

He had his received his first heart transplant at just 12 years old, after developing endocarditis from a simple bacterial infection. The flu like symptoms he'd been suffering with had been overlooked by a number of other doctors, but when his parents brought him in one Thursday morning to the Emergency Room, he was suffering with severe shortness of breath and chest pains.

He had been seen by Dr Glassman who diagnosed the inflammation around the lining of his heart but because it had been left untreated for so long, it had caused irreversible damage. The transplant had been a success and he had gone on to live an active life, qualifying as a teacher, getting married and having children of his own. They had seen him many times over the years for regular checks but now he was back and it was a lot more serious.

A couple of years earlier, Michael had suddenly developed complications that spiralled into serious problems for his heart. He developed coronary artery disease, which narrowed the blood vessels. His heart was struggling to receive oxygen and nutrients and after managing his condition with prescription drugs for the years that followed, doctors eventually discovered Michael had significant heart damage.

After having the necessary testing for transplant candidacy, they placed Michael back on the transplant waiting list. They gave him the news that he would need a second heart transplant which sadly, was not a surprise.

"Dr Melendez!" he smiled as he entered the room. "Long time no see!"

"Shame it wasn't a bit longer" Neil smiled back.

"I stayed away as long as I could" he sighed, looking downcast.

"I know" Neil replied, putting his hand on his shoulder. He had gotten to know the man and his family and was really, very sorry to see him back.

Michael was now in heart failure and the need for the new heart was more urgent. He was on constant IV medication while he waited but seemed more frustrated this time around.

"You know you're going to have to wait in the hospital until we find you a heart, right?" Neil asked him during a check up.

"I know" Michael replied. "It's just...I had plans" he sighed.

"Your going to need to take a rain check" Neil replied seriously. "You're overloaded with fluids which is affecting your kidney function. If you discharge yourself then it won't end well. What's so important?"

"I'm meant to be going to dinner with Jackie on Friday night. We haven't been out in an age and I've been putting it off and now look at me" he said gesturing to himself.

"Sorry Michael" Neil replied, genuinely feeling sorry for the man.

"Not your fault. Shouldn't have put things off for so long" he smiled wryly. "I see your status has changed since we last saw each other" he said with a nod towards Neil's left hand, changing the subject.

"Yeah" Neil smiled. "Married a year last February."

"Well my Mom is going to be heartbroken" Michael laughed. "She was asking after you yesterday and is still hoping to marry you off to my sister."

"Sorry" Neil laughed. "I'm officially off the market."

"It's that blonde piece right? The tall lady?" Michael quizzed.

"Actually, no" he replied. "Did you see Dr. Lim on your last stay?"

"What?! For real?" Michael exclaimed.

"Yeah" Neil laughed. "For real!"

"Well I'll be damned! I owe my brother twenty bucks" he smirked. "He saw that one coming!"

"Seems a lot of people did, except for us" Neil smiled.

"Congratulations! She's quite the catch. You're definitely punching there" Michael laughed.

"Trust me, I know" Neil replied with a soft smile.

X

Audrey was at the hospital sitting in on two residency final interviews. They were currently on a break in between and she had retreated to her office for some peace. She was getting frustrated with the constant questions and comments such as 'not long left now' and 'shouldn't you be resting?' She wanted to reply 'no shit, Sherlock' and 'none if your business' but decided against it and hid herself away for everyone's benefit.

She sighed when she heard a gentle knock at the door and looked up with a glare that immediately softened when she saw her Neil looking in on her.

"You okay" he asked, finding her reaction a little amusing.

"Fine" she said abruptly. "I wish people would stop asking me that though!" she snapped.

"Sorry! May I?" he asked, nodding towards the seat opposite her.

"Of course" she smiled with a sigh. "Sorry."

"So" he started apprehensively, trying to gauge what her response would be in her current mood. "Do you fancy going out tomorrow night once I finish this shift? Celebrate you finishing up and well... you know. It could be the last time in a while?"

"I do" she replied. "I really do. Shall I book somewhere?"

"Great, yes. Pick your favourite" he said. "We'll dress up nice and I might even bring you flowers" he grinned, getting a beaming smile from her in reply.

"What brought this on?" she asked with a slight air of suspicion.

"Just chatting with Michael Kim" he replied. "He's meant to be taking his wife on a date this weekend, but..." he shrugged.

"I see" she replied. "I'll have to thank him when I see him."

He just smiled.

"I'll see what's free tomorrow night" she said, making a move to stand but swiftly changing her mind.

He was on his feet in an instant and by her side in a flash.

"Okay?" he asked nervously.

"I'm okay. I just forget I can't jump up out of my seat anymore, that's all" she said with a chuckle.

"That's ok then" he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you nervous Dr. Melendez?" she teased.

"Terrified" he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

"Neil" she warned.

"I'm gonna kiss my wife, thank you very much" he quipped. "I'll see you tomorrow. And you" he said scooting down further and kissing the top of her stomach.

"Neil!" she admonished. "Glass walls, remember?!"

"Yeah, I'm over that" he smiled.

"Yeah sure, okay" she replied sarcastically. "Now go, I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's a date" he replied waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah it is" she laughed. "Now shoo, I've got work to do."

X

He checked in on her before she headed to bed that night as usual but this time when he asked if she was okay, she didn't answer straight away.

"Aud?" he questioned. "What's wrong?"

"Just Braxton Hicks" she replied. "I stopped by the labour ward on my way out this afternoon to confirm. They still hurt like hell though."

"Want me to come home?"

"Definitely not, you can't come running every time I get an ache or pain. You'd never be in work" she laughed.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure" she confirmed. "First interview is at 10 then second one at 2 so I'll be free in between if you're interested?"

"I'm interested" he smiled.

"I'll see you in the morning" he said softly. "Goodnight Lim."

"Night Melendez, love you."

"Love you too."

X

The morning was uneventful until the call came, the call that would change Michael Kim's life for a second time.

They had heart.

There had been an RTA somewhere north of San Francisco and there was a female casualty who was a registered donor and a perfect match.

The team flew into action and Neil just about remembered to check in with Audrey before he started his final preparations.

"What time did you book the table?" he asked.

"Eight" she replied.

"I'll be well finished by then, don't worry" he smiled. "See you later" he said before jogging away to see Michael Kim.

"See you" she called after his retreating form, shaking her head. He was excited like a kid at Christmas.

The heart arrived with plenty of time left on the transport box and once all tests were complete, they wheeled Michael down to theatre to begin the procedure.

Stopping just outside the door where Dr. Melendez was waiting.

"You'll get to go on that date soon enough" he smiled down at Michael.

"No doubt" he replied. "You're the best, I'm glad it's you doing this. See you on the other side."

"Sure thing" Neil replied, turning to head in to scrub in.

X

"Dr Lim?" Claire Browne called gently from the doorway of her office. "Dr Lim, are you okay?"

"Yes Dr Browne" she replied shifting in her seat.

"It's just, you're 15 minutes late for the 2pm residents interview. I was sent to look for you" she said, stepping inside. "Are you coming?"

"No" Audrey replied, flatly.

"Dr Lim?" Claire repeated.

"My waters have broken Dr Browne" Audrey said. "Could you page Dr Melendez?"

"I can't" she replied, checking her watch. "He'll have just started Mr. Kim's surgery."

Audrey muttered something under her breath, possibly in Mandarin, before speaking again at an audible level.

"Would you make sure he gets the message as soon as he's done. I'll be heading to the labour ward now I think" she said, wincing and giving a wry smile.

"Do you need a hand?" Claire asked, stepping forward as Audrey made to get up.

"Would you mind taking this?" she asked nudging her hospital bag forward with her foot. "I'm not sure I could bend to pick it up right now" she said, closing her eyes and breathing through another wave of pain.

"Sure" she replied. "I'll walk with you. Make sure nobody tries to stop you for anything" she suggested.

"Good idea" Audrey smiled. "Claire, thank you."

X

The music playing in the OR stopped, making Neil look up from the surgical field to see what was going on. He turned to see Dr Andrews scrubbed in behind him and stepped towards him.

"Everything okay?" Neil asked feeling a little uneasy.

"Absolutely fine" Andrews replied. "I'm here to help get this done as quickly as we can. Let's make sure we hit the four hour mark people" he announced to the room.

"What's going on Marcus" he frowned.

"Audrey has gone into labour" he replied in a stage whisper with a smile as he watched Neil's eyes go wide.

"Really?"

"Yes Neil, really. Now let's get this done so you can go."

"Yes Sir" he replied, turning back to the patient again. Shaking his head to focus his thoughts, he gave one last smile behind his mask before signalling for the music to start again. 


	60. Chapter 60

'She's in labour. She's in labour and I'm stuck in here for hours' he thought. 'Shit, shit, shit!'

They could see the panic in his eyes but that was as far as it went for now. He was meticulously going through the process as he always did with steady hands and a calm demeanour despite his own heart pounding at a million miles per hour. The procedure was going like clockwork but they were only two hours in to the expected four hour estimate and right now, that felt like a lifetime.

Cut after cut, stitch after stitch he moved along, removing the diseased, old heart and subsequently putting in the new. Just as he was giving this patient new life, his thoughts were drawn to the new life on its way into the world upstairs and his heart skipped another beat.

"Can someone get me an update on Audrey please?" he asked as he began to clear the way to connect the blood vessels to the new organ. They rarely referred to each other by their first names while at work but right now, for that moment, she was all he could think of... Audrey.

"Of course" a member of the team replied as they jogged from the room. "Be right back."

What felt like a lifetime passed and the team member returned. Neil stepped back from the surgical field for a moment so they could discreetly pass on the information and he smiled as he heard the news.

By all accounts, she was progressing well but he was to 'hurry his ass up and get up there. She didn't get into this 'mess' by herself and she needed him to feel some of the pain.'

He smiled and thanked them for passing on what he knew were her exact words. He needed to focus and get on with it.

His concentration was solely back to the patient on the table and he powered through the next two hours. When the time came, he handed over to his senior resident to close and scrubbed out as fast as he could, leaving Andrews to supervise.

He passed by the waiting room to see the family and let them know the procedure had gone just as planned, his senior resident was closing and would be along soon to update them further.

"You seem agitated Dr Melendez" the brother asked, stopping him as he tried to leave. "Are you sure everything went ok?"

"Absolutely Mr Kim, the surgery was textbook" he replied, bouncing on the balls of his feet, glancing at the door, desperate to get out of there.

"Then why..." he started again.

"My wife is in labour upstairs" he blurted, dropping his cool demeanour and interrupting the question that was coming. "I'm sorry, I really have to go" he said as he turned heel and started to the labour ward at a jog.

X

"Audrey Lim, I mean Melendez" he barked at the staff stood at the main desk. "Please, sorry" he added a little sheepishly when they all turned to look at him with surprised looks.

"This way Dr Melendez" a nurse practitioner smiled gesturing at him to follow. "She's doing very well, but she will be very pleased to see you" she said with a little laugh.

"I've heard" he said. "I hope I'm not in too much trouble!"

They arrived outside the door to Audrey's room and aside from the smooth, steady beat of the music, they're was no sound. He gave a gentle knock and stuck his head around the door.

"There you are, you asshat!" she exclaimed as they locked eyes. "Get in here."

His face broke into a wide smile as he stepped inside.

"Hi" he said approaching the bed, finding her hooked up to monitors and the like.

"Don't you 'hi' me Melendez, that's what got us in to this trouble" she said causing the practitioner in the room to stifle a laugh.

He stood beside her and took her hand with perfect timing. As another contraction hit, she squeezed it with what he thought must be superhuman strength then tried to let go just as quickly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a little confused.

"I don't want to hurt your hands squeezing to hard" she said, concerned.

"Do your worst" he smiled. "I can take it. Besides, you've had me watch Dr Strange a few times, I have other options" he laughed.

"Kiss ass" she sniped as she dropped her head back onto the pillow to get her breath.

"Yup" he agreed.

X

Audreys labour progressed well and eventually she started to feel the need to push.

"Babies head isn't quite where we need it to be" the OB-GYN said calmly after the most recent internal check. "Not a problem, but it would help things move along if you could get up and walk around a bit" she suggested.

"Are you kidding me?" Audrey exclaimed. "You want me to take a walk like this?" she said gesturing to her whole self.

"Just around the room" the doctor continued. "We don't expect a lap of the hospital" she smiled with a glint in her eyes.

"I can't do that" Audrey said quietly, sounding defeated as she dropped her head back onto the pillow again. "And don't you say I can, I'm exhausted" she said looking to Neil with a stern expression.

Learning in close, he took her hand.

"Yes you can" he said, before leaning closer again. "Get up and dance with me?" he whispered for only her to hear.

She looked at him with tears brimming in her eyes and nodded.

"Can we have the room?" Neil asked the staff member. "Just for a bit?"

"Of course" she replied before heading outside to wait.

"Right, up you get" he said holding out his hands. With contractions coming thick and fast, this wasn't going to be easy but he was determined.

"I'm not doing this without any..." she started as she looked up and saw him holding out a pair of pants and smiled.

"You're not doing this without any pants on" he smiled widely. "I get it" he nodded as he helped her into them and onto her feet.

Turning quickly from her playlist to his, he found the song he wanted and hit play.

"You're a sap, you know" she said smiling at him as the first few notes played.

"Yup" he answered simply and drew her close.

_'You'd think for all the days I've known you  
That I would have you memorized by now.  
With Every question answered,  
Every single page turned  
But you keep me on the edge somehow'_

With her back against his front, they swayed slowly back and forth. His arm wrapped around her, enveloping as much of her he could and his other hand holding hers, they danced backwards. As the baby had grown and Audrey's stomach has started to get in the way, their new manoeuvre had allowed them to carry on dancing together right up until this point. So many important feelings had been communicated through music since they met, that they were not going to give up on it that easily.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder to try and get comfortable as he whispered the words in her ear. As each wave of pain passed through her, they would still a little and she would grip onto him as if her life depended on it and they rode it out together.

_'And after every sunrise holding you,  
After all the crazy we've been through  
Every day and every minute girl it's something new,  
I'm still learning, still burning, yeah still wanting, still all-in, still fallin'.'  
_

As the song ended, they continued to sway as the playlist moved on. The door opened quietly and the doctor peered around smiling softly at the scene in front of her. She felt quite lucky to witness two of the most hard-assed, respected surgeons in the entire hospital in such an embrace, it was something that most people would never see. She was sure she could actually see the emotion between them, the way were holding onto each other as they brought this new life in to the world. This baby was very lucky indeed to be surrounded by such love.

She cleared her throat to get their attention and Neil looked around with a soft smile on his face.

"I'm sorry" she began. "We need to check on baby again."

"That's fine" he replied, stirring Audrey a little and guiding her back to the bed.

"Well that's done it" she smiled at her. "The head is in perfect position. A few more good pushes and Baby Melendez will be here."

X

Thirty minutes later, after a phenomenal effort from Audrey, there was a loud cry as baby Melendez entered the world and made their presence felt.

"Oh Aud, he's beautiful" he said with a beaming smile, trying his hardest to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

"He?"

"Our beautiful boy. Look" he smiled as the doctor put him on her chest after giving him a rub with a towel.

She gazed down at him, eyes wide trying to take it all in. He had a shock of thick black hair, and his face scrunched up as he let out a strong wail.

"Hi baby" she whispered dropping the smallest kiss on to the top of his head.

"You are my hero Audrey Lim. He's amazing" Neil said kissing her temple as she leaned into him. He put his hand gently on his son's head and stroked his hair, in a state of disbelief.

Once Audrey and baby were stabilised, they were moved to their room and settled by a wonderful nurse. She guided them and helped as they settled in for their first feed and left them in peace.

"You need anything?" Neil asked as he watched his wife and son with a slightly goofy smile on his face.

"Will you call my Mom please?"

"Sure" he replied. "I'll be just outside okay?"

"We're good" she smiled looking down at their boy.

"Want me to tell her his name?" he asked which was met with a nod. She was quite sure she was too tired to even put a sentence together.

Finding a quiet corner, he leaned against the wall for a moment running the last few hours through his mind. Gathering himself, he scrolled through his phone to find her number and on the third ring, Su answered.

"Is Audrey okay?" she blurted. Neil didn't tend to call to chat so she knew it was something.

"She's fine. They're both fine" he said, she could hear him smiling down the line. "He's here. David Li Melendez is here" he said proudly.

_**Song credit Hunter Hayes 'Still Fallin' borrowed from pinkcl0verleaf's insta edit with permission :-)**__** Thank you!  
**_


	61. Chapter 61

**Realising that not everyone will see the message I left on Instagram regarding this story, just confirmation that this epic fiction is now wrapped up to a point where I'm happy to leave it be **

**I'll carry on with In The Beginning and may come back to this timeline for a sequel in the future, but that's going to be a while away!**

**The support has been epic and the reviews have fuelled the fire, of that there is no doubt. Thanks so much for all your kind words along the way, they more than outweighed the negative hundredfold and made me smile all the time. **

**Just a last note... I'd never done anything like this before this story, never even considered it and didn't think it'd be any good. If you have ideas, go for it. Don't worry about what others think, if they don't like your version of events, they can always write their own. **


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